Kitsu Kitsu no Mi
by Kasek
Summary: This is the legend of the bearer of two curses- one, handed to him by his village... the other, he received when he bit into an accursed fruit. This... is the legend of Uzumaki Naruto, Kitsune of Konoha. Slight NaruHina, Naruto OnePiece crossover
1. Chapter 1

**Kasek:** Yo! Haven't seen me in a while, have ya? Or, at least, an update out of me… hehe. Well, this is a fic I've been working on while I've been bored at school. I broke my laptop a few weeks back (whenever it was… it was quite a while ago), and I'm a little paranoid, so I haven't trusted this desktop with any of my stories. There has been many a time when files would just mysteriously disappear from the face of the hard drive… and this thing seems to catch the virus of the week every week. But, since I've got a carbon copy of this latest one, I'll risk it.

Ok, so this is a One Piece Naruto crossover, barely. The basic premise is "what if the Devil's Fruit existed in the Naruto world?" This fic will be slightly AU; I'll change some of the stuff that I didn't quite like about the original, as well as outright state that the One Piece world and the Naruto world are one and the same. You'll see the changes as history goes by… I won't change anything from before the story actually starts, but since Naruto is, what, four-years-old at the beginning of this, few things are sacred anymore. Bwahahahahahahaha….. ahem. Anyways, this WILL be NaruHina. "Blah" to you who despise this pairing. Any other M/F pairings might be considered if you review me about them. Like I said, few things are sacred anymore…

If you see mistakes, TELL ME. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO CRITICIZE ME. Just don't outright flame me, alright?

Disc.: I do not own either "Naruto" or "One Piece" in any way, shape, or form (except individual pieces of merchandise and fanworks)

* * *

**KITSU KITSU NO MI**

**CHAPTER 1: Taking a Bite out of History**

In Konohagakure, it was a pretty normal day. The Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was even busier than usual, however; not only was he tackling a ninja's greatest enemy- paperwork-, he was also babysitting a four-year-old Uzumaki Naruto. Currently, Naruto was playing with a little fox plushie. Although Sarutobi was glad that Naruto was enjoying the stuffed toy- he knew that the little ball of energy would- the image of a fox brought some rather distasteful memories to the forefront of the wizened old shinobi's thoughts.

_Minato… wasn't there any other way? This village is not the same without you…_ his thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. _Now who could that be?_ "Enter." The door opened, and a familiar white-haired figure stepped into the room. "Well, hello, Jiraiya, what brings you here?"

A rather mischievous smirk appeared on the Sannin's face. "Well, first…" He reached behind his back and took out a small, orange book, " I came to give my biggest fan a free copy of my latest book!" Jiraiya tossed it, and Sarutobi quickly caught it and placed it in his desk drawer, a blush on his face.

"And…?" Jiraiya's smirk was replaced by a very grim look that was all business. He pulled out a very strange, orange and white fruit, covered in spikes and swirl markings, and placed it on the desk. Sarutobi looked at his old student quizzically, his expression alone asking Jiraiya to explain.

"From what I could gather, this is apparently a 'Devil Fruit'. Supposedly, if one were to eat it, they would gain an ability akin to a Kekkei Genkai, but in exchange, that person would be cursed by the sea." Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "That is, a person who has eaten of the cursed fruit loses all ability to move when submerged in water, and they lose the capability to float."

Th elder of the two nodded. "But why a curse like that?"

"Well, these are supposed to be the fruits of the Sea Devil. Not only that, but the only place that they can be found is deep in the Grand Line, a chain of islands along the equator. All it would take to kill the owner of the Devil Fruit's powers would be to push them off a boat or something. And since the majority of these cursed warriors live life as a sailor of some kind, they're lives are in almost constant danger."

Hiruzen nodded again. " I see…"

"And since our nations are sperate from the World Government, they don't know anything about ninjutsu or genjutsu. I had a somewhat tough time with one of them, and he obviously wasn't a trained warrior; he solely relied on his abilities to get him by. Now, if **I **had a tough time with a non-ninja, imagine the possibilities of what a ninja could do. Cause that's exactly what Orochimaru's thinking."

Hiruzen's eyes widened. _Orochimaru…_ "Does he have one of these Devil Fruits?"

Jiraiya nodded. "I don't think he has plans for using it on himself, though. My guess, he's gonna try and somehow replicate the fruit's powers while removing the curse."

"I see… what kinds of powers do these fruits give, anyways?"

"Well, there are three general classes of Devil Fruits. The first class is called 'Paramecia'; Paramecia fruits physically alter your body structure, allowing you to do things that even ninja can't do, such as separate your body parts like a nin-puppet, or turn your very limbs into blades. Then, there are Logia-class fruits, which give a person command over a certain element, as well as the ability to convert their body into that element, like fire or ice. The last class- the type that I believe this fruit belongs to- is the Zoan-class. Zoan-class fruits give the users the ability to transform into one of three different forms- their original form, a full-on animal form, and a hybrid of the two. The animal varies with the fruit eaten."

"Alright… what fruit is this?"

"I had it checked out, and this is apparently a fruit called the 'Inu Inu no Mi: Model Kitsune'(1). I like to call it the 'Kitsu Kitsu no Mi' for short. Oh, yeah, all of the fruits follow this weird naming system… how these people can even tell what powers you get from a fruit, I will never know… but anyways, this one should give the consumer fox-related powers."

Naruto's eyes widened. Unbeknownst to the two elderly shinobi, Naruto had been listening to every word. Sure, he didn't know what in the world most of those words even _meant_, but he was still listening. He got the gist of it; that fruit on the desk would give him fox powers if he ate it, but it'd be a real bad idea to go near water afterwards. _Heh, if I eat that fruit, they won't be able to make me take a bath anymore! AND I get cool fox powers! I think I just got my moti… moti… reason to eat healthy!_ Stealthily climbing onto the desk, Naruto dashed for the fruit and grabbed it. Jiraiya tried to grab the fruit, but when he picked it up, Naruto was hanging off of it. Jiraiya tried to pull Naruto off of the fruit, but before he was successful, Naruto took a chunk off of the fruit and swallowed. The Sandaime and the Sannin stood there, horrified at what had happened. After a moment, Jiraiya regained composure.

"So, kid, I guess you were listening to us, huh?"

"My name's Naruto! Don't you forget it!"

Jiraiya thought it was rather cute that he was trying to be threatening. "Alright, Naruto, why don't you try testing out your new powers?"

Naruto, of course was more than eager to do so. Squinting his eyes in concentration, Naruto felt really weird for a sec, and then realized he was on all fours. Opening his eyes, he saw that he now had paws… and that everything looked even bigger than before.

"Huh, I was expecting him to turn into a bit more of a _**normal**_ fox." Naruto quickly looked around, and ran up to the window, hoping to see his reflection in it. What he saw horrified him. He had turned into some _**tiny**_ fox, with _**humongous**_ ears. Not to mention clothes and very uncomfortable sandals.

"Wh-wh-what kind of fox is that?!" Naruto put a paw to his mouth. He had just _**talked**_. Normal foxes didn't _**talk**_**. **Heck, normal foxes didn't have big ears, either!

The wizened Hokage sighed. _A Fennic? I guess Kyuubi must've influenced the choice of species… though he couldn't change the size._ "That's a Fennic fox, Naruto. Not the biggest fox around, but when it comes to being a ninja, bigger is not always better."

Naruto turned around. "Wait, a ninja?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Well, it would be a waste to have someone of your uniqueness to live their life as a villager. Besides, I doubt you'd be happy as a normal boy, anyways."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, the normal kids are all mean and stuff. Who would want to be like that?"

Hiruzen sighed at the thought. Naruto's life was pretty much miserable, even at this age. "Few people choose to be like that… Naruto."

Naruto looked up at the Hokage, the eagerness apparent even in his very small eyes. "So, when do we get started? I want to be the best ninja EVER! All flying around and blowing stuff up and…"

Jiraiya laughed. "I think you have us confused with someone else (2). A ninja is silent, a ninja is swift, and most of all… a ninja is _**deadly**_."

"Oh! Oh! I can TOTALLY do deadly! Watch!" Naruto's fur bristled as he growled at Jiraiya.

"Sure, kid, sure, I'm paralyzed with fear. You're going to have to do better than that, Naruto."

Naruto closed his eyes in concentration. They said that he had _**three**_ forms, right? After a moment, Sarutobi and Jiraiya were shocked when Naruto started growing… and growing… until he was taller than Jiraiya, at around seven feet tall. He was rather lean, with sandy-colored fur and a fox head… that had regular sized ears. Somehow, Naruto's clothes had changed size as well, although his shoes were now ruined, due to the shape of his feet. A bushy tail came out of his pants, swaying back and forth behind him. "Do I scare you now?"

Jiraiya sighed. "You almost had me there, kid. And then you ruined it with that voice of yours(3)." Naruto growled- which still didn't sound scary- and Jiraiya laughed. "I don't care how powerful you are- THAT will never be scary."

Hiruzen chuckled at the exchange. _I guess he affected the size, after all..._ "Well, then, we best get you started with training, then, eh, Naruto? Some kids already have a head start on you when it comes to being a ninja…"

Naruto's jaw dropped in shock. "WHAT?! But… but… who's gonna train me? I don't have parents or anything…"

The Sandaime's eyes darkened for a moment, and then they returned back to their normal brilliance. "Hmm… Jiraiya, how long has it been since you've had an apprentice?"

Jiraiya put his hand up to his chin and pondered the question. "Hmm… well, not since Mina- Oh no. I am NOT taking him as my apprentice! I don't care what you say! The ladies might get the wrong idea!"

Hiruzen sighed. "Well, then, I guess I'll train you then, Naruto."

"Huh? But, you don't look like a ninja or anything…"

"Kid, he's the Hokage! That means he's the strongest ninja in the entire village!"

"Really?! COOOOOOOOOL!! Hey, wait, don't you have paperwork and stuff?"

A chuckle escaped from the old man's lips. "Don't worry, Naruto, I still have plenty of free time in my schedule, even though it might not look that way."

"Alright! When do we start?"

"Hehe… as soon as you want to, Naruto. Just not today; I'm particularly busy today." Naruto pouted, and returned to his normal form. "Why don't you go wait outside, Naruto? There's some more stuff I want to talk to Jiraiya about." Naruto continued pouting, but as he left the room, there was a smirk clearly written on his face. After he closed the door, Jiraiya started to say something, but then there was a loud shriek of "KITSUNE!!" from downstairs. Cursing loudly, Jiraiya almost ripped the door off of its hinges and ran down the hall. Hiruzen chuckled. "The future is going to be very interesting…"

* * *

**Kasek: **And that's the end of chapter 1. This actually turned out a lot different than my original version; I was going to have Jiraiya train Naruto, but decided that it might add more character to Naruto if he grew up in Konoha. Besides, without Naruto's horrible life experiences, he wouldn't be able to compare himself with Gaara…

For those of you wondering, I'll have the next chapter of WNDHI (he, that looks like Windy!) out either tomorrow or the day after (Monday or Tuesday). I finally came up with an idea good enough to cut it…

Well, read and review! Next chapter: Naruto meets Hinata, as well as gets the chance to show off his powers to an undisclosed villain…

(1): The giraffe-based fruit is listed as a cow-type fruit because cows and giraffes are in the same order. So I decided that since foxes, dogs, and wolves are in the same family (which is closer than an order), and that dogs and wolves are listed under Inu Inu no Mi, that foxes would be, too.

(2): Tell that to Deidara.

(3): A Zoan's voice remains the same regardless of transformations.


	2. Chapter 2

**Kasek:** Hiya! If you can't already tell (and I certainly hope you can), this is chapter two of Kitsu Kitsu no Mi. Before I continue, I want to say that if you guys/gals want certain pairings, tell me about it! I may or may not follow the pairings you suggest, but hey, a lot of things are going to be different from the original (I hope).

Disc: I don't own either Naruto or One Piece. Get it? Got it? Good. I don't want to get sued or anything...

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**KITSU KITSU NO MI**

**CHAPTER 2: WHITE EYES AND TRAINING DAYS**

Over the next few days, Naruto "trained" with Hiruzen- i.e., he started to read scrolls. But not just ANY scrolls- oh, no, these were the legendary "How To Read" abecedarian(1) scrolls that had been sealed away a long time ago, due to driving people who tried to use them insane. But Naruto, little child that he was, rather enjoyed them. He just wished that they weren't… scrolls. Maybe a TV show would be better? He scratched that thought; they'd probably choose a little _**girl**_ or something as the voice. On that line of thought, he also wondered if Sarutobi had a TV somewhere in the tower, as they didn't even have one at the orphanage. Heck, even if they had one, they wouldn't let _**him**_ watch it.

Right now, Naruto wasn't inside reading scrolls; he was training on how to use his 'monster' form best. He decided that using his full-on fox form was forbidden- he _**hated**_ that form. Besides, he rather enjoyed this monster form- he felt more mature, not to mention that he was probably now the tallest person in the village. His eyes darkened at the thought of the village. _Why do they hate me, anyways? What'd I ever do to deserve it? They keep calling me "demon" and "monster"… actually, I guess that's true now… can they see into the future or something? Scary…_

He decided it was probably best to not show anybody his powers; after all, that woman had almost fainted at the sight of his puny little fox form. Who knows how'd they react to a giant, monster fox thing. They'd probably try to kill him. After all, they had tried to kill him before, hadn't they?

Naruto turned around when he heard someone behind him, relieved that it was just the Hokage. "What are you doing here? Don't you have paperwork or something?"

Hiruzen sighed. "Naruto, I told you, I have a lot more time than you think I do. Besides, I wanted to oversee your training." He took out his pipe, and let out a puff of smoke. "While it is all well and good that you want to train with your new form, do not forget that you have three forms. Why don't you train in your fox form for a little bit?"

Naruto pouted (which looked really weird). "But, that puny little thing can't hurt anything like this form can!"

Hiruzen et a puff of smoke escape his pipe. "Naruto, does it look like I could take you down?" Naruto shook his head. In an instant, Naruto was on the ground, the wind knocked out of him, with the old man standing on top of him. "And yet, I'm the strongest ninja in the village."

"Fine…" Hiruzen got off of him, and Naruto quickly changed into his tiny little fox form. "Now what do I do?"

"Why don't you try running around?" Naruto nodded, and did exactly that. He was surprised; he was going a lot faster than he thought he could go. Heck, he was going a lot faster than he'd ever gone before!

"Wow, I'm going really fast, sensei(2)!"

Hiruzen chuckled at Naruto's childishness. "It's been a long time since anyone called me that."

Naruto stopped running around, and transformed back to his human form. "You mean you've taught other ninja, too?" Hiruzen nodded. "What were they like?"

"Well, you've already met Jiraiya."

"Him? He's nothing but a big pervert!

"Where did you hear about that?"

"Well, I found him near the hotsprings yesterday. I snuck up on him and scared him half to death. Before he could yell at me, all of the women in the hot springs started yelling 'pervert!' and threw stuff at him."

Sarutobi smirked at the thought of his old student running from a mob of angry women. "Remember, Naruto, it is a very bad thing to be a pervert. Next time you see Jiraiya at the hot springs, do it again, alright?"

Naruto nodded, grinning ear to ear. "Who else did you teach?"

"Well, there was also Tsunade. She is renowned for her legendary beauty and strength."

Naruto snorted in contempt. "How strong could she have been? She's a _girl_."

Hiruzen smiled at Naruto's naivety. "Well, you see that boulder over there?" Naruto nodded. "Well, she could crush it with one finger." Naruto paled; he didn't know anyone _could _be that strong.

"Did you teach anyone else, sensei?"

Hiruzen's smile turned into a slight frown. "There was one more. His name is Orochimaru."

Naruto shivered. "No offense, but that name even SOUNDS evil…"

Hiruzen looked up at the clouds. "None taken, Naruto. You see, at first, Orochimaru was the pinnacle of what it meant to be a ninja. I even considered him to be the Yondaime."

Naruto was puzzled. "Then why didn't you make him the Yondaime?"

The Sandaime sighed as he looked back towards Naruto. "As he grew, so did his thirst for knowledge. At first, it was a good thing, but then he started delving into kinjutsu- techniques that no ninja should know." Naruto nodded, listening eagerly. "His desire overpowered him and corrupted him. He began experimenting on human beings, using them to test techniques that he couldn't risk actually using himself. After I declared that someone else would be Yondaime, he was exposed for the murderer that he was, and fled Konoha, swearing his revenge on this village, and me as well."

Naruto looked down for a moment, and then looked back up. "So, who was your sensei, sensei?"

Hiruzen smiled- Naruto was certainly interested in the past. "Actually, I had two senseis- the Shodaime and the Nidaime Hokages." Naruto looked up at the old man with admiration in his eyes. "Hey, sensei, do you think I could be Hokage someday?"

The old Hokage stroked his small beard in thought. "I don't know, Naruto, not only does it require you to be extremely strong and wise, you must also make a big commitment to protect everyone in this entire village- even the ones you don't like, and the ones who don't like you."

Naruto nodded. "I'll do anything! If I'm Hokage, the villagers will look up to me. If I protect them, they won't treat me like I'm the bad guy anymore!"

"Naruto…"

"Huh?"

"No matter what the villagers say, you are Uzumaki Naruto, a loyal member of this village. Remember that."

"Uh… o-k…"

* * *

After Naruto was done training- which wasn't until deep into the night- he decided it was best to try and head back to the orphanage- despite the fact that he was no doubt locked out for the night. Turning a corner, somebody ran into him. Looking up, it was some ninja wearing a veil over most of his face. "Phew, just a kid…"

Of course, Naruto did NOT like being called "just" a kid. "Hey, my name's Uzumaki Naruto! Remember it!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Brushing off the annoying brat, the ninja moved onwards. Watching him leave, Naruto saw something on his back- a bound and gagged, blue-haired girl, her white eyes full of fear and pleading him for help.

"HEY, YOU, STOP RIGHT THERE!!" Now, of course, being a shinobi, the guy didn't stop. Naruto quickly switched into his fox form and ran after him, using his hybrid form to jump up to the rooftops. Switching back to his fox form, he chased after the man, and once he was close enough, jumped onto his back and started chewing at the girl's restraints. The little girl, being wise for her rather young age, did not make a sound.

The man smirked under his veil when the girl became still. "'Bout time you stopped struggling…"

As soon as Naruto bit through the last one, he switched to his human form, grabbed her, jumped off of the guy, and switched to his monster form, allowing them a safe landing. Having almost fallen over from Naruto's kickoff, he turned around, and saw Naruto in his human form, untying the girl's gag. "Why, you little brat! I don't know how you did it, but you're going to pay for it!" Naruto smirked, and transformed into his little fox form and ran straight at the nin. The man was surprised, but threw a kunai, hoping to hit his mark. Naruto, who was moving really fast, dodged it. As Naruto got right under him, the nin was surprised when he was uppercutted by a monstrous fist. As he was falling, he looked around, only to find nothing where the fox-thing had been. Looking behind him, he saw a giant monster of a man ready to throw a punch. Much to the nin's displeasure, he threw it.

* * *

Naruto, now in his human form, walked over to the young girl, fear still in her eyes. "Hey, are you okay?" The little girl had stopped trembling, and nodded. "Good! Cause if you weren't, I wouldn't know what to do." The girl couldn't help but laugh.

"Hinata! Are you alright?"

"Fa-Father!" Hinata ran up to the man that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He had long brown hair and flowing white robes. Most importantly, he had white eyes, just like his daughter.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

"The bad man came to take me away, but he"- she pointed at Naruto-"saved me!"

"He did, did he?" Naruto flinched under the white-eyed man's gaze; Naruto knew that for some reason, everybody in the village hated him. He didn't know why, but they did. "You are Uzumaki Naruto, correct?" Naruto meekly nodded. "I am in your debt, young one. Tell me, do you know who this girl is?"

Naruto couldn't believe it- this guy was being nice to him! Still averting his gaze, he answered meekly, "Uh… Hinata, right? Is she your daughter?"

Hiashi observed the young boy. Maybe he wasn't the demon everybody made him out to be… "That's right. She is the heiress to the most powerful clan in Konoha."

While Naruto's jaw dropped, a voice called out, "I wouldn't say the most _**powerful**_ clan in Konoha, Hiashi."

Hiashi scowled as several members of the Konoha MP arrived, headed by… "Fugaku, how nice of you to join us." Naruto also scowled, recognizing the bad men who had tried to take him away lots of times, saying he had done stuff he certainly didn't remember doing.

"Hiashi, what exactly is going on here? We may be shinobi, but even we like to have our sleep."

"Well, that man-" he pointed to the nin, who had been embedded in a wall- "tried to kidnap my daughter, Hinata."

Fugaku's gaze passed over Hinata- who almost fainted, and decided it would be best to hide behind her father's legs- and settled on Naruto. "What are you doing here, boy?"

Naruto flinched. "W-well, I was trying to find my way to the orphanage, when I ran into that guy over there-" again, pointing at the guy was rather deeply embedded into the wall, giving the MP a hard time in removing him-"and when I saw that he had Hinata on his back, I called for help, and then Hiashi-san came and saved her." Hiashi looked at him questionably- why did he feel the need to lie about what happened to the police? Had he had some bad run-ins with them in the past?

Fugaku looked like he was about to say something, when he was interrupted by an MP. "Sir! We believe that the injured man is the Head Ninja of Kumogakure, who was here for the peace talks!"

Fugaku nodded, and turned towards Hiashi. "Perhaps there is more here than meets the eye… well, I guess I'll be seeing you in court, Hiashi, Hinata." He turned towards Naruto. "Uzumaki. I'm sure we can find out the whole story from the guy in the crater. Interrogation ought to have it out of him in no time." The MPs finished extracting the Cloud nin from his hole, and the whole lot of them vanished.

Hiashi turned to Naruto. "What _**were**_you doing out here, Naruto?"

"Well, I was trying to find my way back to the orphanage from the training grounds."

"The training grounds?"

"Yeah, sensei is training me to be a great ninja like him!"

"Is that so? Looks like his training is working; who is your sensei?"

"The Hokage! And one day, I'm going to be Hokage, too!"

Hiashi looked at his daughter for a moment. "It looks like you already have a good start. I wish you luck, Naruto."

"Thanks! I better get back to the orphanage; they've probably locked me out already, but thanks to sensei's training, I might be able to sneak in this time."

Hiashi was surprised; the boy had already been locked out before? Hiashi pondered the situation… well, the boy _**had**_ saved his daughter's life… "Naruto, how would you like to sleep at our place tonight?"

Naruto got sparkles in his eyes. "R-really?"

"Sure; it's the least I can do to repay what you've done."

"T-thank you, Mr. Hiashi!"

* * *

**Kasek: **Okay, that ends Chapter 2. Lame title for the chap, but I like how the chap itself turned out. Of course, with Naruto staying in Konoha instead of my original plan, things are going to be different… I don't know whether or not I should leave him with the Hyuuga clan. What do you guys think? Or would that count under "Super Naruto"?

If you guys want to, you can request random crossover stuff (Naruto/whatever). I'd like to do something like 2stupid's Naruto Harry Potter Drabbles, only with different series. Request a series, a situation, and I'll see what I can do with it.

R&R!

(1): abecedarian was the word of the day when I was writing this. It was too good of an opportuniy to pass up, as I had already written that part.

(2):Yes, Naruto is going to call Hiruzen "sensei" and "Sarutobi-sensei". Remember, he hasn't gone into his disrespectful prankster self.


	3. Chapter 3

**Kasek: **Wow! This story is a big hit with the fans! This is now my official second most popular story! Woohoo! Ahem… anyways, this chapter is kinda last minute. In my original version, Naruto got outta town before the court proceedings began, but… whatever. I don't think he's going to be getting out of town anytime soon, now.

Well, I kinda have this fic planned out all the way to the end of the Chunin Exams. The Zabuza arc will be boring; I don't know exactly how much I can change there. I'll see how I can work out the battles, though, with Naruto's powers. The Chunin Exams, however, you guys will LOVE. That's where the chaos will truly begin.

Speaking of boring… that word perfectly describes this chapter. Nothing but talk, talk, talk…

Disc.: I don't own Naruto OR One Piece. So there! Take that, lawyers who have nothing better to do than sue fanfic writers!

* * *

**KITSU KITSU NO MI**

**CHAPTER 3: BEGINNING OF AN INTERESTING FUTURE **

The Sandaime stood in front of a large crowd, the nin who had attempted to kidnap Hinata beside him, his face still covered by a veil due to disfigurement. "This man has admitted to his crime against Konohagakure, and Kumogakure, in order to keep the peace treaty, will strip him of his rank and have him live in shame among his fellow shinobi. Court, dismissed!" As people shuffled out, the (former) Shinobi Gashira saw a little tuft of blond hair in the crowd. "_Hey, my name's Uzumaki Naruto! Remember it!" Oh, you bet I will… Uzumaki Naruto, the one who caused me to fail my mission and shamed me in front of the entire world…I will remember, until the day I kill you… _

As the now greatly shamed ninja walked out, escorted by fellow Cloud-nin, Hiashi walked up to Sandaime. "Excuse me, Sandaime-sama…"

"Yes, Hiashi?"

"Do you mind if we talked somewhere… private?"

"About what?"

"Your new apprentice."

Sandaime's eyes widened. "Er, meet me in my office in a few minutes. I'll be right along."

* * *

"Alright, Sandaime-sama, spit it. There's no way Naruto should've been able to defeat that ninja… and yet he did. No training, no matter how intense, could've prepared him for that kind of battle in such a short time."

Hiruzen sighed. "Well, I guess you deserve to know. After all, it was your daughter that Naruto saved with his newfound abilities."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "New abilities?"

Hiruzen nodded. "I'm sure you probably heard the rumors. Few things go faster than gossip."

"All I've heard was that the man mentioned a fox demon while being interrogated. Does this have to do with the Kyuubi, then?"

"Actually, no. You see, a few days ago, Naruto ate of the devil's fruit."

Hiashi raised his other eyebrow. "I always presumed that to be more of an expression than anything else."

The Hokage took a puff of his pipe. "You see, Jiraiya brought it in while Naruto was in here. Needless to say, we hadn't expected Naruto to make a mad dash for the fruit. Until then, he had shown disdain for fruits, vegetables, and anything remotely healthy. We discovered from that experience that one bite is all it takes for the Devil Fruit's powers to manifest themselves in a person, as well as make the fruit into a useless, disgusting, and not very nutritious piece of food."

"And what exactly were these powers given to Naruto?"

"Well, the Devil Fruit gave Naruto the ability to change inbetween one of three forms at will. The first being the one you most recognize- his normal, human self."

"And the others?"

"The second form is that of a Fennic Fox. Small, generally harmless by itself, but when you give such a thing a human mind- no, a _shinobi_ mind- and you have a way to get into small access tunnels, cracks in the walls, and other places that the average shinobi could not go through. Not to mention that this form is much faster than any woodland creature has a right to be. Probably has something to do with Kyuubi, but we don't know for sure."

"I see… and the third form? I presume it has to be something powerful for that man to attribute his defeat to a demon fox."

"The third form… is some monstrosity, some fusion of man and beast. If I didn't know better, I would've thought that Naruto had been one of Orochimaru's experiments. Standing straight, he is certainly taller than most of the shinobi in the village, standing at nearly 210 centimeters tall. The form is rather lean, but the muscles are hidden beneath the fur, befitting a shinobi; the legs especially seem a little thin as compared to a human's legs, but I have found that those legs are definitely power-packed, even if the power is compacted a little."

"Hmm… and just how was he able to defeat the shinobi, then?"

"Well, like I said, he can switch from form to form at will. It only takes an instant to switch between them. Naruto told me that he used his fox form to dash up to the man, and then quickly switched to his monster form to attack him."

Hiashi nodded. "Most ninja would be caught off guard by that tactic, but as he grows older, Naruto will need to adjust his tactics, especially if his opponent knows how he fights."

Hiruzen nodded. "You can see why I've taken him to be my apprentice. Naruto is now probably one of, if not _the_ most unique person on the planet."

Hiashi nodded. "That is probably very true. Do you know of anyone else who has these powers?"

The Sandaime let out another puff of smoke. "Well, the Devil Fruits don't exist anywhere ese other than the equator, the 'Grand Line'. Outside of these nations connected on our landmass, shinobi do not exist, but warriors who have eaten of the Fruit are not uncommon. Naruto is- or rather, will become- a fusion of the two greatest kinds of warriors on our planet; he is certainly blessed with the devil's luck."

"And what makes you use that expression?"

"Besides a sad attempt at humor? Naruto may grow to be a powerful shinobi later on in life, but right now, he is hated by almost every person in this village. Not only that, but thanks to the Devil Fruit's curse, he can't be submerged in water."

"Really?"

Hiruzen inwardly cursed himself for that one. He wasn't really supposed to tell anyone about that. "Yes, it is his curse… well, besides bearing the Kyuubi, anyways. Being submerged in water will paralyze him… or, so I'm told. We haven't tested that theory yet."

"That's understandable. I presume that you're going to teach him the water-walking exercise?"

"If he can learn it. It'll be a while before that, though. I'll just teach him what they teach the kids at the Academy for a while. I don't know whether or not I should let him attend; even if the other kids don't know about the Kyuubi, they sense their parents' hatred for him, and mimic it. I've seen Naruto and Hinata together, though; they may have only known each other since last night, but they are already good friends. I believe that Hinata is the first person even close to his age to be nice to him."

"Yes… Hinata is acting a lot less shy than usual. Their friendship will probably last a long time, and will most likely be beneficial to the both of them."

The Hokage let a small smile escape his lips. "We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds, now won't we?"

* * *

Naruto and Hinata were in the main hall of the Hokage Tower- Naruto waiting for their meeting to be over so he could resume his training, Hinata simply waiting for her father-, coloring with crayons and generally having a good time.

Farther down the hall, two black eyes watched the two friends laughing and having fun. A shadow came over the eyes. "Why don't you go and play with them, Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked up. "It's alright, big brother They look like they're having enough fun without me. Besides, I like playing with you."

"Well, little one, my team just got here, so I have to go report to the Hokage now." Much to Sasuke's dismay, the nine-year-old Itachi got up and grabbed his hand, and almost dragged him over to the other two children.

Naruto and Hinata looked up to see Itachi standing over them. "Excuse me, but would you mind letting my little brother play with you? He doesn't really have any friends, and I have to go talk to the Hokage now."

Sasuke peeked out from behind Itachi's legs. "Big brother! I do TOO have friends! They're just not here right now, that's all!"

While Itachi chuckled, Naruto gave a slight scowl when he saw the Uchiha crest on their clothes. Hinata, however, was more than willing to give the boy a chance. Naruto, seeing that Hinata was willing, also decided to give Sasuke a chance. "Hey, Itachi, you coming?" Itachi turned around to see his squadmates- another Uchiha among them- waiting for him. "Hai, I'll be right there! Sasuke, you be a good boy now, okay?" Sasuke merely scowled as Itachi and his team went on upstairs. As they went up, they passed Hiashi, who had just finished speaking with the Sandaime. Hiashi saw Naruto and Sasuke playing with Hinata, and, unlike his old self would've done, smiled. The Sandaime's words echoed in his mind: "_We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds, now won't we?" _Hiashi's smile grew a bit more. _And what an interesting future it will be._

* * *

**Kasek: **Well, that was boring… a recap of what Naruto can do. Completely and utterly pointless. I don't know what convinced me to write this chapter, but whatever. I gave some small glimpses of the future here, as to not make this chapter the most worthless thing I've ever written. The only parts of any worth are the first paragraph and that last section with Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke. Anyways, this is the last chapter of their childhood; after this, there will be a timeskip to Genin Graduation.

I just realized that this was the second chapter I've ended with virtually the same phrase. I guess repetition makes for, uh… something. I don't remember. I guess I just like that phrase… Well, review, please!

P.S.: I name my chapters AFTER I'm done writing them… just to let you know. I'm horrible at that part of the job…


	4. Chapter 4

**Kasek: **Okay, so I took a while in actually finishing this… please don't sue me. Or attack me. Or harm me in any manner.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own either Naruto or One Piece. In fact, I don't own _any_ copyrights. Woe is me.

* * *

**Kitsu Kitsu no Mi**

**Chapter 4: Team 7 is Formed!**

Iruka looked at his clipboard. He only had twenty-six students; one of the teams didn't quite have three members. Iruka sighed; the Sandaime said he would take care of it, but Iruka didn't see who he could place on a team with Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata and consider the team _balanced_.

Mizuki scowled in his seat; his plan didn't quite work out. Not a single student had failed in their attempts to pass; it looked like he would have to do the job himself. As he got to work on his plan, he was only lightly listening to Iruka give out the team listings.

"...Team 7 will consist of Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata. Since there are only twenty-six students in this class, you'll have someone transferred into your squad." All fangirls in the immediate vicinity were immediately jealous; it was a well known fact that Hinata was as close to being a friend to Sasuke as anyone could really get. They had been pretty close before the massacre, but he grew distant from everyone afterwards, including his best friends. "Team 8 will consist of Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Haruno Sakura."

Sakura stood up and pointed to Kiba. "W-why do I have to be on the same team as this mangy mutt instead of with Sasuke?!?"

Iruka coughed, while Kiba growled in indignancy. "One: You shouldn't talk about your teammates like that. Two: You may have book-smarts, but that doesn't do you much good in the real world. Kiba and Shino can show you how to survive out there. Plus, Sandaime himself suggested that we put Sasuke and Hinata together. You don't feel like disobeying his orders, do you?"

Ashamed, Sakura sat down, while Kiba sniggered. "N-no, sensei..."

Ino chuckled. "I feel bad for you, forehead girl. I'd feel terrible if I got stuck with someone like Kiba."

Sakura growled. "Watch it, piggy."

Iruka coughed to regain everyone's attention. "Team 9 is still in circulation. Team 10 will consist of Shikamaru Nara, Akamichi Chouji, and Yamanaka Ino."

Ino was crushed. Before she could complain, Iruka continued speaking "You are all to meet up with your senseis in here after lunch. Why don't you use the time until then to get to know your new teammates better?"

* * *

Everyone filed out of the classroom after that. Hinata walked with Sasuke. "I-I wonder who will be put on our team?" 

Sasuke snorted. "I'll give you three guesses as to who the Sandaime would force onto our team..."

Hinata gasped. "B-but... he wasn't trained at the Academy... and we haven't seen him in quite a while..."

A voice came from behind them. "Since when have I let anything stop me from getting what I wanted?"

They both turned- and were not too surprised to see Naruto standing there. He had changed quite a bit since they had last seen him. He had on an orange jacket, but it was open, exposing his bare chest- and almost giving Hinata a nosebleed. He also had on orange shorts as well, and the typical kunai pouch that almost every ninja had was missing. He still had on a waist pouch, and his hitai-ate was around his neck.

Hinata had a deep blush on her face. "N-Naruto!"

Sasuke smirked. "It's been awhile. What'd you do, get arrested?"

Naruto 'hmph'd. "I wasn't arrested! Not even the ANBU can catch me!"

Hinata let out a sigh of relief. "W-where were you, Naruto?"

Naruto gave that smile that would make girls melt if they didn't hate him so much- it almost made Hinata faint. "I was getting some training done. I spend most of my time learning politics and stuff, so I really needed some time to work on my ninja skills." He lifted up a picnic basket that had mysteriously gone unnoticed until now. "What do you guys say to some lunch? My treat!" Sasuke smirked. "Good, I'm starved."

They sat under the tree with the swing; several other teams were hanging around too. Naruto dug into his basket. "Let's see... I got cinnamon rolls for Hinata..." He handed them to her; she was obviously very delighted. "I've also got some tomatoes for you, Sasuke." He 'hmph'd and took one, biting into it and very much relishing how much tomato juice looked like Itachi's blood. (1)

From afar, Team 8- or more speciffically, Sakura and Kiba- watched Team 7 from a nearby lunch table. Sakura was confused. "Who's that guy? I haven't seen him around."

Kiba nodded. "I don't like him. There's something off about him. Ever since he showed up, there's been a distinct smell of fox in the air..."

Sakura looked at Kiba skeptically. "You can smell him from here?"

Kiba nodded and smirked. "Special Inuzuka clan technique. We can amplify our senses."

Sakura looked back at Naruto, and then at Sasuke. She blinked, and then blinked again; was Sasuke... _smiling?_ It was official- there was something odd about the new guy. _Nobody_ had been able to make Sasuke smile- not even Hinata.

Meanwhile, Kiba was making a slightly different observation. Ever since that fox-boy had shown up, Hinata had been blushing almost nonstop. He could only deduce that she liked him- a _lot_. He growled. Hinata should be on _his_ team, not some fox-boy's. Everyone knew foxes were infamous for their deceiving nature. He would not let his friend be harmed by his lies! (2)

* * *

After lunch, everyone filed back into the classroom. The entire class was abuzz, wondering who this new kid was. He sat right between Hinata and Sasuke, taking the seat before any of Sasuke's fan girls had gotten to it. After a minute, Jonin began entering the room. A woman by the name of Yuuhi Kurenai had taken Team 8- something that very much relieved Sakura of her worries about this team. Team 10 was picked up by a man named Sarutobi Asuma- he waved to Naruto as he left, leaving behind several confused Genin. Eventually, after everyone had finally left, the members of Team 7 became very bored. Their sensei had not yet arrived, and it was starting to irritate Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke snorted. "Where's the person who was assigned to us?" 

Naruto sighed. "If we got the sensei I think we got, then it's going to be awhile before he shows up." Naruto got up and walked over to the chalkboard. Hinata lifted up her head (she had been napping). "What are you doing, Naruto?"

Naruto lifted up an eraser. "Well, what do you think I'm doing?" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It LOOKS like you're about to pull the old eraser-in-the-door trick." Naruto gave his fox-grin. "Ah, but that's not the ONLY thing I'm going to do. Hey, you wouldn't mind letting me borrow some kunai, would ya?"

As Kakashi walked down the hall towards the classroom that contained the Genin-wannabes, he started thinking about what these kids might be like. _The Uchiha is probably pretty stuck up, and focused on vengeance. The Hyuuga will probably just as stuck up as the Uchiha. And Uzumaki... I have the distinct feeling I've heard his name before. _As he approached the door, he saw an eraser in the door. He sighed. _Must be Uzumaki's handiwork... I'll just play along for now…_ As he opened the door and put his head in, he let the eraser harmlessly bounce off of his head. However, as it fell, he noticed that there was a string attached to it that couldn't have been viewed from the hallway… a string that led to… Kakashi didn't have any more time to think as he got out of the doorway and several kunai passed through the space that he had previously been occupying, leaving a Kakashi-shaped outline of kunai on the far hallway wall. Peeking back into the classroom, he saw that the dark-haired boy was smirking, the girl was sighing in relief (presumably from Kakashi not getting impaled), and the blonde boy was rolling on the floor, laughing his head off . _Now I remember… Uzumaki Naruto, Konohagakure's number one prankster, as well as the vessel for the Kyuubi…_Kakashi walked into the room and stood up straight, putting his hand on his chin. "Let's see… my first impression of you guys… you've got style, but it takes more than just style to get you through as a shinobi. Meet me on the roof in five minutes. Ciao!" Kakashi then burst into a cloud of smoke, leaving a chuckling Naruto, a smirking Sasuke, and a slightly red Hinata.

Naruto managed to get up. "H-hey guys, did you see his face when he saw the kunai? HILARIOUS!!!"

Hinata spoke up. "B-but Naruto… he could've been seriously hurt!" Sasuke shook his head. "But he wasn't. I'm assuming you know this guy, Naruto, as the kunai trap was a perfect outline of him."

Naruto chuckled some more. "Yeah, I know him. I'll talk about it later, though. We really should get to the roof.

* * *

Once they got to the roof, Kakashi had them all sit in a row; Hinata on his left, Naruto right in front of him, and Sasuke on his right. "Well, then, I assume you all know each other pretty well, but we'll have introductions just in case. Name, hobbies, likes, dislikes, dreams for the future… that kind of thing." 

Hinata pushed her fingers together. "W-why don't you go first, sensei?"

Kakashi put his hand on his chin. "Hmm… let's see… my name is Hatake Kakashi. My likes and dislikes are none of your business. As for my hobbies… hmm… dreams of the future… well, that's about it." They looked at him incredulously. Hinata spoke up. "U-um… you only told us your name…"

Kakashi looked at her. "Ah, the ever-famous Hyuuga eye for detail." The sarcasm was practically dripping off of his words. "Alright then, why don't _you_ give it a try?" Hinata blushed. "Well, um, my name is Hyuuga Hinata. I like my friends-" at this point she glanced toward Naruto- "and I like flowers. I don't like people who judge others based on appearances or preconceptions. My hobbies include training and flower pressing. As for dreams of the future…" She glanced towards Naruto again. "…I want to become a strong shinobi so that I can live up to my clan's expectations, and prove to them I'm not as weak as everyone thinks I am."

Naruto looked at her quizzically. "Who thinks you're weak, Hinata?" Hinata blushed. "Well, I, er, um…" Kakashi quickly intervened. "Okay, blondie, you're next."

Naruto grinned, and stood up. My name's Uzumaki Naruto! I like my friends, and I dislike people who hate others for no good reason! My hobbies include training, studying, and pulling pranks on people! As for dreams of the future, that's easy! I'm going to be Hokage one day!" Kakashi sweatdropped. He remembered that the Hokage himself had been training this kid, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he did end up becoming Hokage. He turned to Sasuke. "Alright then, broody, it's your turn."

Sasuke 'hn'd. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I don't particularly like anything, but I dislike it when people are rude to my friends, and I also despise fangirls. My 'hobby' is training. As for my dreams… I'm going to revive my clan, and kill a certain man…"

Naruto glared at him. Sasuke sighed. "Fine… WE'RE going to kill a certain man…"

Kakashi sweatdropped. He hadn't quite been expecting that last part… He clapped his hands together. "Well, then, now that we all know each other better, I'll inform you of a little… survival exercise we're to do tomorrow."

Naruto stood up. "Hey, wait a moment! I thought we were going to do some missions first!" Kakashi's eye rolled over so it was staring at Naruto. "Ah, but first I have to test you to see if you're really worthy of being ninja."

Hinata's eyes widened a little. "W-what do you mean by that, sensei?"

Kakashi chuckled- it sent chills down the Genins' spines. "Well, you didn't really think that those simple tests that the Academy gave you make you ninja, do you?" Naruto looked like he was about to say something. "And just because you get the Hokage's say-so doesn't mean you get MY say-so. I want you all to meet me by Training Grounds 7 at 0800. Oh, and… don't eat breakfast. You'll end up tossing it later." With that, he 'poofed' away.

Naruto's stomach growled. "Hehe… I'm kinda hungry. You guys wanna go get something to eat?" Hinata nodded, while Sasuke 'hn'd. "Alright! Just you wait, Kakashi-sensei; we'll pass that test for sure!"

* * *

**Kasek:** I know it's pretty late. I'm going to start writing more now that summer's here. This'll be my main fic, while Clash of Pokemon will get secondary priority, WNDHI third, and Hokage's Pendant has been delayed for a little bit. If you guys like that, I'll have to ask you guys to bear with me. Also, next chapter WON'T be Kakashi's test; there's something I'd like to do first... 

(1): Sasuke's favorite food is tomatoes. I believe this is because he imagines splattered tomatoes to be Itachi's organs. XD

(2): If you can't tell, this is supposed to be one-sided KibaHina here XD


	5. Chapter 5

**Kasek: **Hmmm… I don't have much to say here, I guess. Other than I have a really lame chapter title here XD

**Disclaimer: I do not own either Naruto or One Piece.**

* * *

**Kitsu Kitsu no Mi**

**Chapter 5: Getting to Know Each Other and Themselves**

Naruto had (finally) finished his ramen, and patted his stomach in satisfaction. "Man, there isn't anybody in all of Konoha who can cook like you, old man!" Teuchi nodded his thanks and returned to cooking. Naruto turned to his teammates. "All right, who's up for some training?"

Hinata looked at him quizzically. "Training? Why?"

Naruto looked at her as though it were obvious. "Well, he wants to make sure we're fit to be ninja, right? We should train together so we can get used to how the others work.

Sasuke 'hn'd. "He has a point Hinata. Where do you keep getting these good ideas from? They don't really seem to fit you…"

Naruto pouted. "Hey! I've been studying under the Hokage himself! I've been training my brain a lot!"

Sasuke smirked. "Well, I think it's about time we found out how much you've trained your body."

* * *

Sasuke smirked as Naruto lay sprawled put on the ground before him. "Geez, Naruto, you're not too good at fighting, are ya?" 

Naruto growled. "Sh-shut up! Taijutsu alone doesn't make you a ninja, you know! Besides, if I pulled out my trump cards, I could waste ya! This was just a sparring match!"

Sasuke smirked some more. "Excuses, excuses. Don't blame me if you fail Kakashi's test. I'm going home." Sasuke turned to leave. Naruto got up. "Hey, where're you going? I haven't shown you what I can really do yet!"

Sasuke turned around. "Give me one good reason why I should stay."

It was Naruto's turn to smirk. "When was the last time you sparred with Hinata?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at?"

Naruto's smirk grew. "You're willing to beat me into the ground, but you don't fight her? Are you scared she'll beat you or something?"

Hinata's eyes widened. "N-Naruto, I don't know if this is such a good idea…"

Sasuke growled. "Fine. Hinata, you better be ready for this!" Sasuke charged at her. She gasped, and by pure reflex, she activated her Byakugan and blocked every punch and kick he sent at her. As Naruto cheered her on, she eventually started fighting back. Eventually, she pressed her palm against his chest, blasting him away from her. She gasped and ran over to him. "I-I'm so sorry! I ddn't mean to hurt you! It…just kind of happened!" Sasuke growled as he got up, and glared at Naruto, who was now rolling on his back in laughter.

"Man, Sasuke, you got the beatdown that time!"

He glared at him. "Well, if YOU'RE so special, why don't YOU try it?"

Naruto stopped laughing. "Well, er, uh, I mean, it just wouldn't be FAIR if I went all out on either of you…"

Sasuke smirked. "Should I take that as a 'no'?"

Naruto growled. Hinata started pushing her fingers together. "U-um… what about that team training that we were going to go do?"

Naruto lit up, completely forgetting the sparring matches they were just having. "Yeah! First, we should show off all of our abilities to each other, and then we'll set up a mock mission to test our abilities!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "And just what kind of mock mission are you planning on?"

Naruto put his hand on his chin. "Well… we'll get to that later. So, uh, what else can you guys do besides punch and kick?"

Hinata looked down, obviously ashamed. "Um… nothing, really…"

Sasuke smirked. "If you must know, I know a few Katon jutsus… and I'm very proficient with kunai and shuriken."

Naruto smirked. "Is THAT all? Fine then! I'll show you something that I haven't shown ANYONE before! Well, except maybe Hinata and Sarutobi-sensei…"

Hinata's eyes widened. "Y-you mean…"

Sasuke was slightly confused- and shock was apparent on his features as Naruto physically transformed into a tiny fox- no smoke involved. "H-how did you do that?"

Naruto snickered. "Cool, huh? As far as I know, this is something only I can do. Watch this!" Sasuke almost fell over when Naruto turned into a giant fox-headed man-beast thingie (I'm starting to regret giving him that form XD). "Cool, huh? Think you could beat this?"

Sasuke glared at him. "How long have you been able to do that?"

Naruto reverted back to his human form and put a hand on his chin. "Hmm… I think I first did it a few days before I met you guys."

Sasuke glared at him some more. "And you never bothered to show us… why? Seems to me that you'd be bragging about that kind of power."

Naruto sighed. "Well, Sarutobi-sensei told me that it'd be best if the villagers didn't know. Foxes aren't too popular here in Konoha."

Hinata nodded. "It's been that way ever since the Kyuubi attack… weren't you born on that day, Naruto?"

Naruto stiffened. "I've never given any thought to it. It's just a coincidence."

Sasuke looked at him. "You were born the day a giant fox attacked the village, you look like a fox, and you have fox powers. Seems like it's more than just a coincidence."

Naruto glared at him. "Hey, I wasn't BORN with these powers, you know!"

Hinata looked surprised. "What do you mean? It doesn't look like a jutsu…"

Naruto sighed. "I ate something called the Devil's Fruit. In exchange for giving me power, it took away my ability to swim."

Sasuke smirked. "Hey, at least it wasn't your soul, right?"

Naruto smiled. "Yeah, good thing, cause I didn't really know what I was doing back then. You know, being a kid and all."

Sasuke chuckled. "You're still a kid now. Where was the fruit from?"

Naruto opened up his mouth to say something, but then closed it. He closed his eyes in though, and then opened up both his eyes and his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Sasuke sighed. "You don't know, do you?" Naruto shook his head. Hinata spoke up again. "How did you get one?"

Naruto lit up at the chance to talk again. "Well, some guy brought it in for Sarutobi-sensei to look at. I think his name was… Jiraiya? I think that was it…"

Hinata's eyes widened a little in realization. "You don't mean Jiraiya of the Sannin, do you?"

Naruto nodded. "Yep, that's the guy! Seriously, as far as I remember, he was a weirdo…"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Do you know where he is now?"

Naruto smirked. "Trying to get this power yourself? Sorry, but Jiraiya hasn't been in this village for years.

Hinata looked up at the sky as it began to turn red. "I-I really should be getting home… my father won't like me being out too late…"

Naruto pouted. "Can't you ask him to stay out later for training? I'm sure he wouldn't mind… I think he'd let you."

Hinata blushed. "W-well, I'd like to stay, but I can't… I'm sorry."

Naruto sighed. "Well, if you've gotta go… get plenty of sleep. Don't want you to be tired tomorrow, right?"

Hinata nodded. "See you guys tomorrow!" She bowed, and left for home. Naruto sighed again. "Man, there goes that mission I had planned…"

Sasuke smirked. "What were you planning? A game of tag?"

Naruto looked disgusted. "No! I would never dream up something so childish! I was _going _to henge into an enemy ninja, and you two would have to track me down and retrieve the secret scroll I had stolen! Then, we would take turns being the enemy ninja!"

Sasuke sighed. "So, it's like a reverse game of tag, where there's multiple taggers and one target."

Naruto sweatdropped. "Didn't I just say it wasn't tag?"

Sasuke sighed. "Look, I'll see you tomorrow. If you can find any enemy ninja stealing secret scrolls, let me know." Naruto 'hmph'd as Sasuke walked away. Naruto sighed, and decided that he'd have to train by himself.

* * *

A few hours later, Naruto was getting bored. Training by himself was part of his routine, and therefore he didn't have much interest in it. However, as he stood there, he realized that there was something… amiss. He heard a familiar sound coming from behind him. Turning around, he saw it was… a giant shuriken. He managed to duck, and it embedded itself in one of the three posts behind him. Naruto growled. "Who's there?!?" 

A figure jumped down from the trees. "Well, well, Uzumaki… I must admit, I wasn't actually expecting you to dodge that." Naruto growled some more. "You… you're that sensei from the Academy… Mizuki, right?"

Mizuki chuckled. "I'm honored that a kitsune would bother to remember my name…"

Naruto stiffened. "Why does everybody keep calling me that?"

Mizuki chuckled. "You mean you REALLY don't know? You don't know the reason why everybody hates you?"

Naruto stood up straight. "Not everybody… Sarutobi sensei-" "That old fool only takes care of you because it is his sworn duty as Hokage to protect all of the citizens of Konoha. Even if it means raising a demon."

Naruto's eyes widened. "A demon? What are you talking about?" _Does he know about the Devil's Fruit? Does everybody know?_

Mizuki chuckled some more. "You really are stupid, aren't you? Haven't you ever noticed when your birthday was?"

Naruto glared at him. "Are you trying to tell me that the whole village hates me just because I was born the day the Kyuubi attacked?"

Mizuki's smirk wouldn't go away. "Oh, I _assure_ you, it's a lot more than that. There's a reason why the Sandaime went so far as to make a law forbidding people from telling you."

Naruto froze. "A-a law? When-" "He made that law soon after you were born." Naruto gritted his teeth. _That removes the whole Devil's Fruit theory… then again, I remember people hating me even before I ate that thing…_ "Alright then, spill! I can take anything you throw at me! I'm the Hokage's apprentice, after all! I'm going to be Hokage some day, so I can't let something about my past stop me!"

Mizuki chuckled (again! Naruto wished he would stop.). "You see, the Yondaime did not kill Kyuubi that day. Such a being cannot be killed. So, he did something else- he sealed it. Now, if you're so smart, try to think where he would seal such a creature, eh?" Naruto took a second to put two and two together. If the Kyuubi wasn't dead… and everyone hated him… then… "He sealed it into a newborn baby… didn't he." It wasn't a question- a statement. Naruto knew what was coming next.

Mizuki looked like he was about to burst into evil laughter. "That's right! And I guess you've figured out which baby he sealed it into."

Naruto didn't react with words, but instead, his head leaned forward, leaving his eyes invisible to Mizuki. "That's right! The Kyuubi was sealed into Uzumaki Naruto! As a last ditch effort, it tried to take over the boy's mind, but in the end, it lost its memories in order to control him!"

Naruto looked up at him, confusion on his face. "W-wait, you're telling me that I'M the Kyuubi?!?" Mizuki nodded, his smirk never leaing his face. "That's right! YOU'RE the one who killed all of the villagers and shinobi that your precious "Sarutobi-sensei" was sworn to protect!"

Naruto sunk to his knees, staring at the ground, tears now coming from his eyes. "I… I killed them? Me?"

Mizuki's smirk grew as wide as it possibly while still being able to be called a smirk. "That's right! You killed them! That's why everybody hates you! Even the Sandaime hates you! And even though they don't show it, even your teammates despise you! I think it's time I did this whole village a favor by killing you! Maybe they'll even forget about that scroll I stole!"

Naruto's eyes widened, and as Mizuki charged at him, his giant shuriken spinning rapidly, Naruto felt something rise up within him. It was… rage? Yes… rage at how Mizuki had just openly admitted to betraying his village as if it were nothing. Naruto took hold of that rage, and then…

Mizuki was surprised when the boy managed to grab his shuriken with his bare hands. He started to panic when the boy wouldn't let go- he could feel Kyuubi's power rising up within the boy. "If I killed all of those people…" Mizuki froze in horror as the boy became enveloped in red chakra. "…then I guess…" Naruto threw Mizuki into a tree, and Mizuki could've sworn that a bone had been broken. He looked up, and he saw the Kyuubi's eyes looking at him. "…that one more person won't hurt!" Mizuki could only watch as the Kyuubi's power extended around the boy, etching a spiral in the ground, and creating a veritable tornado of chakra. Mizuki was horrified when the top of the tornado formed into the image of the Kyuubi's head and roared at him. Mizuki- Mizuki, of all people!- had a flashback. The time? A few minutes beforehand, actually.

_Flashback no Jutsu!_

Mizuki arrived at his destination, a cloaked figure waiting for him. If it weren't for the fact that there was no mask, Mizuki would've mistaken him for the head of the ANBU, due to their similar white cloaks. Mizuki took the scroll off of his back. "I assume that this is the scroll you wanted?"

The figure nodded, and took a potion from his cloak. "This is the potion that you wanted. It will give you powers that Orochimaru-sama has been researching for some time now. Don't worry- there shouldn't be any ill-side effects. Actually, if you had used the recipe you had been given, it'd be the same as committing suicide- Orochimaru merely wanted to test you to see if power was the only thing you were after."

Mizuki nodded, and he brought the scroll over to the person- he could assume the person was male, but he couldn't quite tell if he was a man or a teenager. When he received the potion, he immediately drank it- and was surprised not to feel anything. "Hey, hey, where's the power?"

The figure chuckled. "It'll activate shortly… since this power is artificial, it takes a few minutes to start working. You'll know how to use your powers instinctually."

Mizuki nodded. "I'll catch up to you in a few minutes. There's something I want to do first…"

The figure looked up. "Really, now?"

Mizuki smirked. "I feel like killing the Kyuubi brat, I saw him training on my way here."

The person nodded. "I have no problem with that. That would actually help Orochimaru-sama. Meet me at the other designated place within half-an hour, though."

_Flashback kai!_

Mizuki stood up, apprehensive of trying to fight the Kyuubi itself. He had wanted to mess with Naruto's head a little, but now he started thinking he had gone too far. _Well, I guess now's as good a time as ever for me to try out that new power…_ When he tried it, however, he realized that he was now a lot taller than he remembered himself. Looking down, he realized his body was far more muscular than he remembered… and he had claws. He looked towards Naruto, who didn't seem fazed at it. Mizuki smirked, his fangs showing. "Let's dance."

* * *

**Kasek: **Cutting it here XD I could've done more, but people want this chapter to come out. If you don't know what happened to Mizuki, you'll either have to wait for next chapter, or you can peek around the anime fillers XD I'd like to work on WNDHI now- I finally got inspiration- but not today… I'm surprised I managed to get this done today… 

If you see any errors, PLEASE tell me.


	6. Chapter 6

**Kasek: **Here's that Kitsu Kitsu chapter I promised in BLEACHed 2. If you don't read that, hi for the first time in forever (last June, I believe).

I swear, there's not enough emotion coming from Naruto. I apologize for this. I ALSO apologize for the fact that I have everything up until chapter 9 written down, and some stuff beyond that, but I'm just now posting this. However, that does mean I'll update regularly for a little while, so enjoy it while you can.

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor One Piece. Really!**

Naruto dashed towards the large man-tiger hybrid, and attempted to punch him in the chest. Mizuki raised his arms in defense, and when the punch landed, he was pushed into the tree, which snapped in half. Mizuki smirked- that had barely hurt. "Feh! Is this all that there is to the great Kyuubi's power?! I guess my new powers are far greater than yours!"

Naruto growled. "You take one punch, and you think I'm done for? I guess these 'new powers' of yours have gone to your brain." Naruto disappeared, and Mizuki barely had time to duck the kick that Naruto had made for his head. Mizuki clawed at Naruto, and smirked when he saw the blood spill from his chest. His slitted eyes widened slightly when Naruto disappeared again- in mid-air. He turned around, and blocked the next kick, which again pushed him several feet, leaving two small trenches in the ground. Naruto's fanged smirk looked extremely evil. "Heh, it looks like I'm the faster... I wonder what would happen if I went all out with this new power of mine..."

Mizuki's face scrunched up in anger. "You're nothing but a Genin- you haven't even been in a real battle before! I've had to go through so much to achieve my rank! My experience makes me the better!"

Naruto smirked. "Well, I guess I'll get experience by defeating you!" Naruto disappeared and reappeared behind Mizuki. His smile completely disappeared when he felt something wrap around his neck and squeeze- tightly. Clawing at his throat, he realized that the object around his throat was Mizuki's tail. Mizuki's head turned to look, and a feral smirk grew on his face.

"Ah, what do we have here? A little fox cub, trying to hunt for its first meal? Ashame that you're not really the hunter here... I AM!!" Mizuki twisted his body, and rammed Naruto's head into a nearby tree, knocking over that one as well. Mizuki frowned when he noticed that the claw marks from earlier had disappeared. This boy could heal pretty quickly, huh? Naruto smirked when he noticed the frown on Mizuki's feline features.

"Keh... Y-you think that something like that c-could hurt me?" Mizuki's tail tightened, and and this time Naruto was smashed into a nearby boulder, making a boy-shaped crater in it.

"No, but I think THAT did." Naruto attempted to chuckle, even though he was bloodied and bruised. Mizuki's tail tightened around the boy's throat even further. "Face it, brat- you're as good as dead." Naruto closed his eyes, and Mizuki was shocked when Naruto's entire body expanded to a similar size as his own, but with foxish features instead of Mizuki's tiger features. Naruto grabbed the tail, pried it off of his throat, and threw Mizuki clear into yet another tree. Mizuki growled. "Is that one of your Kyuubi powers, too?!"

Naruto smirked. "Kinda... I don't remember this form being so muscular before. But... I'll take what I can get, if it means bringing you DOWN!!" Mizuki didn't even have the time to blink when Naruto's fist landed on his face. Before he could truly be sent flying through the air, Naruto grabbed him by his tail and and began running, pulling Mizuki with him. Mizuki was horrified when he saw that Naruto intended to smash him into the same boulder Mizuki had smashed him into. Naruto didn't notice when there was a shift in Mizuki's weight as he brought down Mizuki like a club onto the boulder with all his might... and was shocked to see not the Mizuki he had grabbed, but a large tiger which had landed on the rock on all fours, ready to pounce. Naruto was forced to let go and get out of the way before the tiger leaped off of the rock.

Mizuki's smirk was even more feral then before- who wouldn't agree, seeing as he had completely changed from a man to a tiger. "Feh! Was that supposed to hurt?" Naruto growled. "I brought you down full force onto that rock- so how did you not take any damage from that?!" Mizuki slowly advanced towards Naruto as he spoke. "Tigers are cats, you brat. We have padded feet that absorb the impact of any fall- something like that only tickled." Mizuki crouched, and once again pounced towards Naruto. Naruto's form shrunk, and Mizuki landed on nothing. Mizuki turned, and was faced with a rather regular looking fox. Naruto looked down at himself. "Heh, looks like I finally have a normal fox form now, too..." Mizuki growled. "Look at yourself- no way a mere fox could compete with a tiger!" Naruto flashed a true foxy grin. "Oh really? Don't you hate me because I leveled so much of this village- killed so many people? If I could do all that, then I'm no mere fox!" Before their fight could continue any further, the mysterious white figure Mizuki had been speaking with earlier appeared. "Mizuki! Enough of this! This fight has more than likely attracted attention." Mizuki growled. "Shoot... and I was just getting into this battle, too..." The cloaked figure glared at the fox opposite Mizuki. "You... I remember you... you're that blasted fox that disgraced me a few years back..." Naruto's mind drew a blank- what in the world was this guy talking about? "Remember this, Uzumaki Naruto- the next time we meet, we WILL battle, and I WILL win..."

The man tossed a large scroll towards Naruto. Mizuki's eyes widened, and attempted to jump towards the scroll, but the man appeared in front of him and kicked him away. Naruto reverted to his regular human form and caught the scroll. Mizuki also reverted to his human form. "Why did you go and do that?! Now you and I are both as good as dead!" The man snorted. "All _he_ wants is the information on that scroll- and I copied it all. Our mission is a success- we're leaving." Mizuki turned towards Naruto. "At least let me kill-!" "No! We'd probably get in trouble for killing a Devil Fruit user..." Mizuki locked eyes with Naruto. "...fine. You're getting off easy this time, Uzumaki. But I'll have a better grasp of my powers next time, so just you wait!" With that, they disappeared. Naruto opened the scroll he was given just a little. He saw a one-hand-seal technique that looked fairly interesting. Memorizing the hand seal, he closed the scroll when his enhanced senses detected people coming. Instantly, he was surrounded by many shinobi of various ranks- Hiruzen and Kakashi among them.

Hiruzen glared at him. "Naruto... hand over that scroll. Now."

Naruto gave a faint smile, obviously forced. "Huh? Y-yeah, here you go." He walked over to his old sensei and handed him the scroll.

Hiruzen's gaze did not soften. "Naruto... were you the one who stole this scroll?"

Naruto looked scared for once. "W-what? N-no, it was this guy named Mizuki- he stole it!"

Iruka stepped forward. "M-Mizuki? That can't be right! Sir! Mizuki is my friend, he wouldn't just go and-"

The old Hokge held up his hand, silencing him. He took a puff from his pipe and observed his surroundings. "Looks like there was quite a battle..." He noticed the Naruto-shaped crater in a nearby boulder. He turned back to Naruto. "Naruto- explain."

"W-well, he showed up, tried to kill me, and then this other guy came, and he handed me this scroll, and then they left."

The Sandaime raised an eyebrow. "And that's all?"

Naruto lowered his eyes to the ground. "W-well... that's the gist of it, yeah..."

Hiruzen took another puff of his pipe. "Why don't you come with me to my office, and we'll talk about it some more. Kakashi, Iruka, I want you two to come as well."

"Hai!"

Once in the Hokage's office, Naruto was seated in a chair. Hiruzen sat down in his chair, and Iruka and Kakashi stood. "Tell me, Naruto... what's wrong? You haven't been acting your usual self tonight..."

Naruto took a deep breath. "It's... I tried to kill him. I mean, I know I'm supposed to, but... the pure rage, the pure hatred I felt towards him for betraying our village... I was able to keep it from outright controlling me, but the power that I felt course through me... if shinobi aren't supposed to feel emotions, then why is it that those same emotions gave me strength?"

Hiruzen sighed. "It's not truly possible for us to not feel emotions. It's a shinobi's job to not let those emotions guide his actions. A man blinded by rage will not see all that is around him, but a man guided by his heart will know the path through any trouble."

Naruto's face brightened a little, but all could tell that it was forced. Kakashi leaned towards the wizened leader. "Hokage-sama... shouldn't we ask him about 'that'?"

The elderly ninja closed his eyes in thought. "Naruto... what happened in your battle? Several trees were leveled, and you left quite the impression on that boulder."

Naruto looked down. "He... he and I have similar fighting styles." Hiruzen and Kakashi looked at each other and nodded.

Iruka looked confused. "W-wait, what? It isn't exactly Mizuki's style to cause that kind of destruction."

Kakashi put his hand to his chin. "You mean... he ate of the Devil Fruit too, huh?"

Naruto nodded. Iruka was more than confused. "D-Devil Fruit? What are you talking about?"

Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe. "The Devil Fruit give special abilities to those who eat them, in exchange for the users ability to swim. Before you say anything, they are most often found on islands, not on the mainland. I wonder where he got it..."

Naruto spoke up. "W-well, his partner mentioned some higher up... maybe that guy gave it to him..."

Iruka put his hand to his forehead. "B-but... are you sure it was Mizuki? What did this guy look like?"

Naruto put his hand to his chin. "Well... he had silver-ish hair, and he was wearing a bandana..."

Iruka sighed. "Yeah, that's him..."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "So, his abilities are similar to yours, Naruto?"

"Y-yeah..."

Iruka looked at Naruto. "What are you guys talking about? What abilities?"

Naruto looked at his sensei, who nodded. Naruto took a deep breath, and attempted to transform back into his hybrid form. When he looked down at himself, he was disappointed to discover that all of his newfound musculature was gone.

Iruka looked horrified. "Y-you said that this is the power of some Devil's Fruit? Are you sure it doesn't come from-"

Hiruzen silenced him. "Yes, we're VERY sure. Naruto, what forms does he take?"

"A tiger and a man-tiger hybrid- far more muscular than this form." Naruto reverted to his normal self. Sarutobi nodded to him.

"Thank you, Naruto. I know you don't like to show people you don't know your powers..." He turned to Iruka. "You tell NO ONE about Naruto's abilities. Understood?"

Iruka gulped. "H-hai."

He then turned to Kakashi. "Any tips you want to give Naruto for his exam tomorrow? He seems to be quite the promising candidate."

Kakashi cast his lazy gaze in Naruto's direction. "Well... if he's come this far... hmm... what did you say you got so mad at again?"

"Huh? I was mad because he betrayed the village..."

Kakashi nodded. "Don't ever forget what that felt like... Naruto." And with that, Kakashi disappeared in a plume of smoke.

Hiruzen sighed. "Well, I guess this meeting is over. Naruto, I advise you get some sleep. Iruka, I'm sorry about your loss, but until his innocence is proven, Mizuki is now a nuke-nin."

Iruka looked saddened. "H-hai."

When Naruto got home his curiosity got the better of him and, instead of going to bed right off, he wanted to test that new jutsu. He was always obsessed with cool techniques- for him, learning this jutsu would be a very good way for him to take his mind off of the day's events. After a short while of practice, he finally got the jutsu right- it was called the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, and it created a solid clone of himself, as opposed to an illusion. Not only that, but the clone had a copy of his brain, too- it was certainly no mindless drone. He even discovered that, when dismissed, he gained the clone's memories, too- certainly a very useful technique. And since it did not require the chakra control that the regular bunshin required, it was far easier for him to perform- the more chakra he pumped into it, the more clones he created, instead of him having to mold each individual clone as he used to have to do. He grinned- this jutsu would be far better for distraction purposes than a regular bunshin! He wondered why his sensei had neglected to teach him such a jutsu, but decided that some sleep was prudent- after all, it was only a few hours until the meeting time. Setting his clock, he went to bed and fell into a fitful sleep, filled with nightmares.

When he woke up, Naruto immediately knew that his short sleep was not nearly enough that most people would've required to recover. Naruto, on the other hand, was not most people- even though he had horrible nightmares (elements of said nightmares including Mizuki and the Kyuubi, as well as a burning Konoha), he felt completely refreshed- physically speaking. After he cleaned up, he ate some breakfast. When he was done with that, he leapt out of his window, heading towards the specified testing ground.

When he got there, he was not too surprised to see Hinata and Sasuke already there. He frowned when he realized how they might react to finding out he was a demon- he was sure all of the adults knew, which made him wonder why Sarutobi had taken him in. It was probably because that whatever the Yondaime Hokage had done, it had erased his memories, and therefore even if he had once been a demon, he wasn't anymore. Satisfied with this conclusion- that he was not the Kyuubi, but himself- he smiled.

Hinata saw him first, and smiled as well. "N-Naruto!"

Sasuke smirked. "What took you so long? We've been here a couple of hours already."

Naruto gave them a look that said 'What are you talking about? A couple of hours...?' Panic spread across his face. "Shoot! I thought he said 9:00!"

Hinata smiled. "Well, sensei hasn't shown up yet, either... I wonder why he's so late?"

Sasuke brushed a hand through his hair. "He had better have a very good reason to make us skip breakfast."

Naruto panic deepened. "Ohmanohmanohman! I completely forgot about that, too!"

Sasuke sighed. "Can't you remember anything, Naruto?"

Naruto looked affronted. "If I couldn't remember anything, then explain to me why I can remember the details of the time we met! You guys can barely remember it yourselves!"

Sasuke sighed. "If we don't remember it, how are we to know you're not lying about what you remember?"

Before their argument could proceed any further, Kakashi appeared in his signature plume of smoke. "Hello, team. I trust your morning has gone well." Naruto and Sasuke shrugged their shoulders. "Aaaanyways..." He took out a timer and two bells from his pocket. "I guess you guys will want to know about this test, right? The objective is to take these two bells from me within the time limit. Whoever gets a bell passes; whoever does not fails."

Hinata spoke up. "B-but sensei, I thought that Genin teams had three Genin on them... so why are you passing only two of us?"

Kakashi gave the impression that he was smiling. "Well, looks like somebody did their research. Teams are assembled after you take this test. And nobody said anything about only passing two of you. You could _all_ fail..." The young shinobi-to-be gulped. "Any more questions? No? Good. You are to come at me with all that you've got, and make sure you're really trying to kill me- anything less won't be able to get these bells from me." The young warriors each steeled their gaze as Kakashi set the timer. "Oh, and one last thing... whoever doesn't get a bell doesn't eat lunch." Before there were any objections, he put down the timer. "Begin!"

**Kasek:** Sooo... people who only watch the English version of Naruto won't get why Mizuki's a tiger. You will very soon, though.

I think the Mizuki scene is made of fail, but that's up to the reader to decide, really. Also, notice that Naruto believes himself to be the Kyuubi. This is important.

In other news, I changed Naruto's hybrid form so it's more lean and lanky. It's not built for power. However, when under Kyuubi's influence, he gets a hybrid form with a more Chopper-esque build. I'll go and change chapter 1 later to reflect this. He also receives a fox form that is slightly more... normal sized. But it, too, has a unique feature that will make it worth using. Basically, when under the Kyuubi's influence, it is similar to when Chopper uses a Rumble Ball.

Also, my spacebar is semi-broken, so tell me if you see spacing mistakes. And I was apparently not of sound mind when I wrote this, as I found some very... odd mistakes in here. LET ME KNOW IF YOU SPOT ANY.


	7. Chapter 7

**Kasek:** …okay. Let's see if we can't break this writer's block, shall we? I'm long overdue for an update of any kind.

**Chapter 7: Unnatural Selection- Who will be left behind?!**

Two of the three had disappeared immediately- leaving only Naruto behind, staring down his sensei. Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why aren't you hiding, Naruto?" Naruto grimaced. "You're a Jonin, right? If you're anywhere near as good as Sarutobi-sensei says you are, there's not really much point in hiding at the moment. Besides, I think it's time we tried our fighting style on someone who's not going to go easy on me."

Naruto charged straight at Kakashi, who dodged his seemingly wild punches. As Kakashi dodged each one, he noticed that something didn't quite seem right. He decided to follow a left hook with his eye, and noticed that whenever the fist went past his head, Naruto was making hand signals. A moment later, Kakashi heard a kunai coming from his left, and ducked under it- it was aimed right at his head- and turned momentarily to where it had come from. Big mistake- he heard another shift in Naruto's weight, and Kakashi shifted to dodge a punch- only to discover that there was a kunai in Naruto's hand. He grabbed Naruto's wrist and flipped the young genin over his head, making sure that the kunai didn't touch him. _So, that's what he meant by 'our' fighting style…_

As Naruto arched his body to position his feet for an interception with the ground, Kakashi heard another kunai coming right at him. He wisely let go of Naruto and pulled his arm back- only for this kunai to make it into Naruto's grasp as well. Naruto smirked as he charged at his sensei, keeping the man on defense.

Kakashi smiled under his mask- the second kunai had come from a different direction than the first- meaning that both of Naruto's teammates were helping him out. These three had definitely worked together before- they had almost gotten a pass in his book- but it was going to take more than some fancy tricks to impress him.

Naruto made a slice with his left hand, causing Kakashi to duck to his own left, and duly noticed that Naruto's right hand was already moving, apparently trying to take advantage of the blind spot on his left. Kakashi moved slightly to his right to dodge- and noticed out of the corner of his eye the smirk on Naruto's face. Kakashi realized that both of Naruto's arms were still outstretched. Kakashi forced himself backwards just in time, as the two kunai were pulled back towards him. He heard cloth tearing, and saw Naruto's scowl. Kakashi checked himself for blood, but there was none- the kunai had barely touched his mask, causing two tears down his cheeks. Kakashi sighed. "That was close… maybe I should get serious."

Naruto again tried to slice Kakashi across the face, but this time Kakashi got behind Naruto before he could even blink. "Konoha Ultimate Ancient Secret Taijutsu: ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF PAIN!!"

Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw their teacher form the Tora seal. Was his teacher really going to use a katon jutsu? He flinched when he saw what his teacher did do- ram his fingers up Naruto's behind.

Hinata blushed at the action- and her eyes widened when Naruto was sent flying through the air. She quickly calculated where he was going to land, and gasped- the river. She recalled what Naruto had said the night before- "_I ate something called the Devil's Fruit. In exchange for giving me power, it took away my ability to swim." _She quickly dashed from her hiding place, determined to get him out before he drowned.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as Hinata dashed out towards Naruto as he splashed into the river. _So… she knows about Naruto's powers, too. _Before he could go after her, several shuriken came straight for him from the opposite direction of Naruto and Hinata. _So, Sasuke wants to play now, does he? Let's see what the last Uchiha is made of…_

Hinata dove ran into the river, and noticed Naruto laying on his back in shallow water. She pulled him out- she doubted that drowning in shallow water on a training mission was his ideal way to go. After a moment, she realized that he wasn't breathing. She was immediately horrified with the logical conclusion- he needed CPR. She became so paralyzed by the thought of kissing Naruto that she promptly fainted.

Naruto woke up a moment later, and found himself wondering why Hinata was unconscious- with such a red face. Maybe she was sick?

--

Kakashi stared Sasuke in the eyes. "So, time to see what you're capable of, Sasuke. I want to see the so-called power of the Uchiha clan."

Sasuke smirked. "Well, I don't know… a guy like you probably isn't even worthy of seeing such power…"

Kakashi grunted. "Why don't you try me and find out?"

Sasuke's smirk grew a little wider. "I'd rather not, thanks…"

Kakashi stiffened. "You mean you're just going to give up?"

Sasuke sighed. "I never said THAT… but there's no point in going on…" Kakashi heard a noise from behind him, and turned to see an army of Narutos jump from the bushes. "…when it's already over."

However, it most certainly wasn't over- Kakashi instantly disappeared, replaced by a log. All of the Narutos, surprised, tumbled in mid-air and fell into a disorganized heap. The Narutos disappeared, leaving the real one to fall off the top of the pile facefirst onto the ground. He spat some grass from his mouth. "Darn it! That would've been so cool if it had worked."

Sasuke grunted. "You owe me. I sounded like an arrogant prick."

Hinata emerged from the bushes- still red from her near-experience a few moments before. "S-so, what do we do now?"

Sasuke sighed. "Keep trying, I guess…. But that guy's good. It's going to take a lot more than some parlor tricks to get him. Speaking of, where'd you learn that jutsu, Naruto?"

Naruto froze. "Umm… can't we talk about that after this exam?"

Sasuke snorted. "Well, considering that we don't really have time for that, fine. But what do you suggest we do, then?"

Hinata looked at her teammates. "Jutsu? You mean that clone jutsu Naruto used?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah… those were physical clones…"

Hinata looked at Naruto. "That jutsu… each of those clones had their own chakra system… I couldn't tell which of them was the real you, even with my Byakugan…"

A look of enlightenment dawned on Naruto's face. A moment later, he created two clones- each of which turned into one of the other two Genin. "So, do we look like the real deal?"

Sasuke smirked. "I think I see where you're going with this…"

Naruto's foxy grin stretched from ear to ear. "Do you, Sasuke? Do you?"

--

Kakashi stood with his back against the tree, reading his favorite Icha Icha novel by Jiraiya. The man was not only a genius ninja, but a genius writer, too. However, he was forced to close his book and duck when six kunai came from his left, right, and front, two from each. He quickly looked in all three directions, and saw Hinata and Sasuke to his sides- who, he noted, had caught the kunai sent towards them- and Naruto coming from his front, unarmed. Deciding to take his chances, he pulled a kunai from the tree and dashed towards Naruto- and realized he had fallen into a trap when raised his hand into the air, making a karate-chop motion towards Kakashi. "Alright, everyone, let's do this!"

A moment later, and an army of Narutos, Hinatas, and Sasukes began leaping from the brush. Kakashi groaned- at this rate, he'd never find out if the Naruto in his book would ever find that one special girl who he would like for something other than their looks…

He immediately went to work, punching and kicking through the several genin hopeful clones. He noted that the Hinatas had a vague semblance of a Jyuuken stance, while the Sasukes had a more refined stance than the Narutos. He sincerely doubted that they all knew how to create Kage Bunshin- or even this many. Naruto was the only one with the chakra reserves to do it, and even then, he would've thought the boy to fall into a coma from chakra exhaustion by now. Kakashi's thoughts would've continued, but he spotted something- one of the Sasukes was moving more like a Hyuuga than an Uchiha…. Smirking under his mask, he dashed towards 'Sasuke' and attacked- the smirk disappeared when this one, too, turned out to be a clone.

He swore when near-instantly all of the clones began mix-matching their fighting styles. Now he had no clue whatsoever as to who was who, or if they were even people. He carelessly threw a punch to a nearby Naruto, who blocked it Hyuuga-style. While 'Naruto' held his arm, 'Hinata' jumped on his back, completely limiting his ability to move. The clones all disappeared, except for the two holding him and a Sasuke who was walking up to him. "Ready to concede defeat, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi smirked under his mask. _Three…_ "I would, but…" _…Two…_ "…It seems…" _One._ "…that you're out of time." Immediately, a loud ring tore through the air, signifying the end of the exercise. 'Hinata' jumped off of his back, and with a small poof of smoke, was revealed to be Sasuke. Naruto became Hinata, and Sasuke became Naruto.

Naruto groaned. "Aw, man… we had you, too…"

Kakashi smiled under his mask. One last test wouldn't hurt, would it? "Well, assume that you did get me. Who would've gotten the bells? This whole time, you've been fighting as a team- did you ever once think of the consequences?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "Umm… well… not, really, no…"

Hinata's eyes focused on the ground. She had been so caught up in it that she, too, had forgotten about it. Sasuke growled. "So, what? You just want to divide us here and now?"

Kakashi took the two bells off of his pouch. "Sure, why not? You guys came a lot closer than any other team I've tested. Go ahead, choose who to leave behind."

He tossed the two bells towards his students- but no one grabbed them. After a moment, Naruto stepped away from the bells. "Well… I never went to the Academy, so…"

Sasuke stepped back, as well. "Naruto is already so powerful, and Hinata has her Byakugan… I don't really have anything special. I should train a while longer before becoming a ninja."

Hinata looked at her friends on either side of her, and when she realized she was in the spotlight, she turned red and hid behind the two boys. "I-I'm… I didn't really do much to help, so…"

Naruto smiled. "Whatcha talking about? You fished me out of the water! If it weren't for you, I'd be dead right now!"

Kakashi put his hand on his forehead. "Oh, right. The whole 'cursed to not be able to swim' thing. Forgot about that…"

Naruto snorted, and rolled his eyes. "Suuuure you did…"

Kakashi's scanned the three of them slowly. "So, that's it? None of you are willing to let the others sacrifice themselves?"

They looked amongst themselves, and nodded. Naruto sighed. "Yeah… I guess so."

Kakashi sighed. "Well, that's going to make Anko happy, at least. She and the Hokage were the only ones willing to bet on you guys passing."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "They have betting pools for these things?"

Kakashi gave an eye-smile. "No, just for me. You're the first group I've ever passed. Look, since you all seem to be so overcome with joy, why don't you go celebrate or something?" His team was stunned with disbelief, merely staring at their very sarcastic teacher. "Well, we'll meet again tomorrow- same place, same time. Ciao!"

Naruto coughed when he breathed in some of the smoke. "Soo…. Anyone for Ichiraku's?"

Sasuke snorted. "That ramen place? Again?"

Naruto crossed his arms, trying to look authoritative. "You have any better ideas?"

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "Not really. Just thought that I'd point out just how addicted to ramen you are."

Naruto smirked, and turned to Hinata. "Any other objections?" Hinata shook her head slowly- she was still in shock about the test. "Alright then, to Ichirauku's it is!"

Sasuke grabbed him by the shoulder before he could charge off. "By the way, Naruto... how come you din't use your powers on Kakahi-sensei today?"

Naruto broke into a sweat. "Um... you see, I... uh..."

Sasuke sighed and let him go. "You forgot, didn't you."

Naruto nodded.

"Despite the fact that these powers have been a part of you for nearly a decade now."

Naruto nodded once again.

"...I believe the term here is 'loser'. But, if it wasn't for those Kage Bunshin, we wouldn't be here, so... thanks."

Naruto grinned. "You're welcome! Anytime you need me to save you, I'll come swooping in to show off my ninja skills to the world!"

Sasuke smirked. "Wouldn't you rather go about saving Hinata?"

Naruto faltered, and Hinata blushed. "Well, uh... she won't need saving! But you, on the other hand..."

Sasuke smirked. "Well, how about we just all agree to save each other when necessary, alright?" He put his hand forward. Naruto took Hinata's hnd, and placed both of them on Sasuke's. "You have a deal, Sasuke."

**Kasek: **So, umm... reviews? Please? Semi-fixed the error people pointed out.

In other news, I get a new laptop tonight. So, you can expect more updates from me from now on


	8. Chapter 8

**Kasek: **Yeyz! I gots a new laptop! Heheh. Expect to see more updates out of me... especially since summer's coming up.

Thanks for helping with the last chapter. I DID forget to use Naruto's powers. Oops. To make up for it, expect to see something new in this chapter, okay?

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING**.

**Chapter 8: Onward! To The Land Of Waves!**

At first, everything seemed to be quiet in this one particular section of the Land of Fire's great forests- but if one were to listen intently, they could hear the rustling of leaves as Team 7 stealthily searched for their target. Naruto spotted something and hid behind a tree. He pushed his finger against the communicator in his ear. "Kakashi-sensei, we're five meters from the target. Permission to engage?"

Kakashi sighed. "Depends. Is everyone ready?"

Sasuke radioed in. "Naruto said 'we', what do YOU think?"

Kakashi groaned. "It's called standard procedure, Sasuke. And you, Hinata? You're absolutely sure that this is the target?"

Hinata's voice crackled over the radio. "H-hai, sensei."

Kakashi nodded to himself. "Alright, then- permission granted, Naruto. Remember, mission is to capture, not terminate."

Naruto smirked. "Don't tempt me like that. You heard him, guys- get ready... go!"

Naruto transformed into his chibi-fox form and dashed towards the target... a cat with a red ribbon on its right ear. The cat, being of the feline persuasion, instantly picked up the fact that there was a canine after it and dashed to the left. However, to the left was Hinata, bent over with her arms wide open. "Come here, Tora-chan, you'll be safe with me." The cat, grateful for the refuge, instantly leapt into her arms, and turned around to hiss at Naruto- who was already back in his human form.

Naruto frowned. "Man, that was too easy. Why can't we ever do something more exciting? First weed-pulling, then litter-removal..." Naruto leaned in towards the cat. "And now pet-retrieval! I'm tired of it!" He recoiled in pain when the cat scratched him full across the face- apparently, it still sensed the fox in him.

Hinata nearly dropped Tora in surprise. "N-Naruto-kun! Are you alright?"

Naruto rubbed his face. "I'll be fine. Can't guarantee the cat's safety, though."

Sasuke sighed as he approached them. "Just try it. It'll give me something to do on this mission, considering that the cat dashed towards Hinata right away."

Kakashi dropped in. "Look, I can't change what kind of missions you get. It's the Hokage's job to assign missions, don't you remember?"

Naruto gave another foxy-grin, resulting in a hiss from Tora. "Well, I guess that means we should go talk to Sarutobi-sensei about it then, huh?"

Naruto snickered as the cat was enveloped in a bear hug by his owner, Madam Shijimi, the Lord of Fire's wife. Hinata sighed. "That poor kitty..." Sasuke frowned. "Something tells me that this won't be the last time this mission will be assigned..."

As Shijimi and Tora left, Hiruzen pulled out a sheet of paper. "Alright then, Team 7. Your next assignments are to babysit an elder's grandson, go shopping in a neighboring village, and to help dig out someone's potato garden..."

Naruto took a step forward. Kakashi sighed quietly. _Here it comes..._ After a moment, Naruto kneeled, placing one hand on his jutted-out left knee and the other hand was placed on the ground, and he stared intently into the Hokage's eyes. "Hokage-sama, on behalf of both myself and my teammates, I humbly request that we receive a mission more befitting those known as 'shinobi'."

Everyone could not help but stare at the blond genin. Hiruzen smirked. "Well, looks like those lessons didn't go to waste, after all, Naruto. I think I have just the mission right here..."

Iruka, who was the Hokage's assistant for the day, sputtered incredulously. "H-Hokage-sama! You can't just send them on a C-rank! They're not ready for it yet!"

Kakashi sighed. "Iruka, I don't know exactly what Hinata and Sasuke were like at the Academy- but they were at the top of the class, and Naruto was the Hokage's apprentice. These three make an excellent team. I hate to admit it, but they even tricked _me_ of all people during their genin exam. I think they've had more than enough training to handle some bandits."

Iruka, unable to make a comeback, merely just sat down, mumbling to himself about other people being suck-ups. Hiruzen sighed. "Anyways, this is a protection mission. You are to escort a certain someone to the Land of Waves." It did not go unnoticed that Naruto paled. A smirk crept onto the Hokage's lips. "What's wrong, Naruto? You look kind of pale."

Naruto shook his head. "N-nothing's wrong, Sa- I mean, Hokage-sama. Must be a draft or something..."

Hiruzen shook his head, a chuckle escapinh his mouth. "Anyways... Tazuna, you may come in now!"

A nearby wall-panel slid open, and in walked a man that appeared to be in his late 50's. He was about Kakashi's height, but this man was a tad overweight. He was actually quite muscular, but the sake bottle in his hand made it quite obvious that it was more a case of beer belly than anything. He was currently drinking from said bottle, and some of the sake trickled down his beard. After wiping it off and closing the door behind him, he took a good look at the ninja he had just hired. "What's this? They're all a bunch of super brats! I mean, look at the girl- she looks like she couldn't harm a fly!"

He quickly sobered up when two kunai dug into the wall on either side of his head. Naruto was immediately in his face. "I don't care what anyone says about me... but do NOT let people insult Hinata-chan. By the way... I missed. Hinata-chan? She NEVER misses. She could hit a fly with one of these things as long as it's within throwing distance of the kunai. Sasuke there knows more ways to slice a man up with shuriken than I care to count. And you don't even WANT to know what I can do to a man with my bare hands. Am I clear?"

Tazuna gulped. "C-crystal."

Naruto removed the kunai from Tazuna's sides and walked back to his friends, giving one of the kunai to Sasuke. "This is yours, I believe."

Sasuke nodded, taking it back. "Don't you think that was a bit overdoing it? He IS the client."

Hiruzen sighed. "Naruto... I'll let it slide just this once, but I don't want to hear from any of your clients that you assaulted them. Am I **clear** on that?"

A shiver went down Naruto's spine. "C-clearer than the air we breathe."

The old Hokage smiled. "Good."

Tazuna, suddenly emboldened, puffed up his chest. "Anyways, my name's Tazuna. I'm a super master bridge builder. Your job is to escort my super self back to the Land of Waves and guard me until the bridge is done in a couple of weeks."

--

The group of five travelers stood at the gates of Konoha, all of their gear ready for the journey. However, Naruto seemed somewhat nervous. "H-hey, Tazuna-san... by Land of Waves, you mean the island nation, right?"

Tazuna nodded. "Right. We don't have any connection with the mainland, so that's what the bridge is for."

Naruto gulped. "Meaning we're gonna have to take a boat to get into the country, huh?"

Tazuna nodded again. "We'll probably just use a rowboat."

Naruto shivered. Kakashi leaned in. "Are you really that scared of water, Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head. "It's not just that... there's something in the air... something's not right here. I can smell it."

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Well, let's see if Hinata can see it..." He gave the signal to Hinata to use her Byakugan, and after a moment, she signaled back. Two people- not allies- were watching them. Kakashi sighed to himself. _Great... I think I would've been better off not knowing._

Hinata spoke up. "Do they have ninja in the Land of Waves, too?"

Kakashi sighed. "The Land of Waves? Nope. Like Tazuna said, they don't have a connection to the mainland, so they don't really have to worry about invasions or anything. But, most countries in our section of the world do have ninja. Actually, Konohagakure no Sato is the very first village of its kind in the world- all of the other hidden villages are based off of us. Isn't that nice to know?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I heard about all that stuff from Sarutobi-sensei, about how the Senju and Uchiha clans founded Konoha."

Sasuke smirked. "So, guess that makes me Konoha nobility, then."

The comment obviously struck a nerve with Naruto, so Kakashi intervened. "Well, in a way, all three of you are nobility in Konoha. The Hyuuga and Uchiha have both been extremely instrumental in Konoha's past, and Naruto... well, Naruto..."

Naruto gave a faint smile as he stepped in a puddle in the road. "It's alright, Kakashi-sensei... I know I'm just some orphan taken off the street..."

Kakashi sighed. "Look... when the time comes, you'll find out everything about your past. I think right now, though, you shouldn't worry about it. You are who you are- Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage's apprentice. Doesn't that just have a nice ring to it?"

Naruto smiled, and started walking a bit faster. Sasuke moved over to Kakashi. "Guess that means you know who his parents are, don't you, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi paled. "Ah, um..." He was saved from having to explain himself when he suddenly found himself wrapped in spiked chains. Two ninja had somehow snuck up on them, holding the chains on either side of Kakashi. The one on the right had smooth black hair, a cape, and camouflage pants, as well as a giant clawed gauntlet on his right hand, which the chain seemed to be attached to. The one on the left had longer, spikier hair, had no cape, and had a similar gauntlet on his left hand. Their hitai-ate marked them as from Kirikagure no Sato- Mist ninja. Their hitai-ate were modified so that the one on the right had one horn in the center of his, while the other had one horn extending from either side.

"One down." They pulled, and in an instant, Kakashi's form was torn into several pieces. In another instant, they were behind Naruto. "Two down."

Naruto was consumed with rage- they had just killed his sensei! The two ninja ducked when Naruto jumped backwards with both of his arms extended, hoping to clothesline them. They turned around to try to kill him in the same way that they had done to Kakashi, but were stunned by the boy's appearance.

He had grown orange and white fur all over his body, and his eyes had turned red. The whisker marks on his cheek had become real whiskers, and his ears had changed shape into furred triangles. He had grown not only fangs and claws, but a tail as well. What was most astonishing were his legs- the ankle was raised to the point that it looked like a second, backwards knee, like an animal's. An instant after they made these observations, the one with two horns was crippled over, Naruto's fist in his gut. Naruto growled. "One down."

The other one, in a panic, dashed towards the others. Sasuke and Hinata tried to block his way, but he dashed to the side, attacking them with the chain. Right before it reached them, it maxed out on its length, and the man was forced to detach the chain as he dashed towards Tazuna. It was enough- the two genin were too enveloped in dodging the chain to be able to stop him. However, before his claw could sink into the man's chest, Naruto appeared in front of him and grabbed him by the wrist, the tip of the claws digging into Naruto's fur. Naruto growled again, and the man feared for his life, unable to pull his gauntlet from the boy's grip.

"Two down." Naruto made a short hop, raising his right leg high and bringing it down on the man's head, knocking him out. As he fell, the claws made a long scratch down Naruto's chest. Naruto, satisfied, resumed his human form. Sasuke stared at him. "What... was THAT? I thought you said you only had three forms? That one makes form no. 4!"

Naruto was saved from that particular explanation when none other than Kakashi appeared from the bushes. Looking towards where Kakashi 'died', there were several pieces of wood- Kawarimi no Jutsu. "Good job, Naruto. Seems that you're abilities are evolving. However, that's not how you should've handled it- things like that need to be kept hidden."

Kakashi pointed to Tazuna, who had a horrified look on his face. "Y-you... that power..."

Naruto immediately went on the defensive. "I can explain, honest! You see, it's a power I got from-"

"-eating the Devil Fruit. I know that." Naruto looked relieved. "Oh, thank goodness... but how do you know about Devil Fruit, Tazuna?"

Kakashi held up his hand. "You might want to save it for later, Naruto... look at yourself." Naruto did so- he had scratch marks that went all the way down his chest. "You DO realize that these two have poison on their claws, right?" Naruto froze- he knew what this probably meant. "We need to go back to Konoha immediately and get you treated. It's not that far, but it will set us back quite a bit.

Naruto shook his head. "N-no, I'm fine. Look! You can barely see the scratch anymore. I sincerely doubt the poison was able to get in."

Kakashi rubbed his chin. "I don't know..."

Hinata took something out of her pack. "I have some medical supplies if you need them, Kakashi-sensei..."

Kakashi shook his head. "No need. Naruto has a regeneration ability- look, he's already healed. Nothing we can do now, if he is poisoned."

Naruto and Sasuke tied the two enemy ninja to a tree, and Tazuna wandered over.

Naruto turned to him. "Back to what you were saying earlier- how do you know about Devil Fruit?"

One of the enemy ninja spoke up. "H-how... did you know we were even there?" Naruto frowned- at this rate, he'd never find out if Tazuna knew any other Devil Fruit users. Kakashi turned to the ninja. "Ah, Mist Chunin- you don't know when a fight ends, and you certainly don't know when it begins, either. Well, we knew you were there the moment we stepped out of Konoha. However, I knew that you would attack the moment we passed that puddle. It hasn't rained in days, and if you haven't noticed, it's quite sunny out- not exactly weather one can play in the mud in."

Tazuna put his hand on his chin. "But if you knew... why wait?"

"To find out the truth."

Tazuna gulped nervously. "Th-the truth?"

Kakashi nodded. "The truth about who they're really after. All of us are priority targets for different groups- and it seems like they were hired by a group out to get you, Tazuna. Having other shinobi on our tail means that this is now a B-rank mission- not something you can afford, correct?"

Tazuna nodded. Kakashi continued. "I'm sure you had a good reason, but lying causes problems for us. We need to return to the village- especially since Naruto might be poisoned."

Naruto was devastated- sure, he had gotten some action, but Sasuke and Hinata hadn't. So what if they were going to fight more ninja? It would certainly look good on their records if they won. Taking out a kunai, Naruto carved an X onto his chest mercilessly, causing everyone around him to become shocked. "I swear... even if these guys try to drag me back to the village... I will protect you to the end, Tazuna- I swear it on this wound!"

Kakashi sighed. "That's nice and all, Naruto... but it's already healing."

Naruto blinked, and looked down at his chest- sure enough, it was half-way healed. Naruto swore loudly- and not the kind he had just made to protect Tazuna, either.

--

Deep in a mist-enshrouded forest was a large building for the most part suspended in the air by ropes tied to the surrounding gigantic trees, with one such tree growing right through the building. Inside the building were two groups of men- one was a group of gangsters, with their leader a short, balding man n a business suit. The other group was comprised of men identifiable as Mist shinobi, all of whom were kneeling in the presence of their leader, a tall man holding an even larger sword while sitting on a couch.

The business man snarled. "You failed?! I paid you all good money because I'd heard that you were very strong, and you FAILED?!"

The man on the couch lifted his sword and pointed it at the small mouse of a man. "Stop your whining. This time, I'll go with this sword, and chop off their heads!"

The businessman did not seem intimidated in the least. "You sure about that? Apparently these ninja are VERY skilled."

The swordsman snorted. "Who do you think I am? There's a REASON I, Momochi Zabuza, am called the Demon of the Hidden Mist Village."

The businessman snorted. "Just make sure the bridge-builder dies. I'd prefer not to do the job personally, but I will if you keep failing."

As the man and his guards left, Zabuza sighed. "Do it personally? Please. That mouse couldn't hurt cheese if he wanted."

**Kasek:** 6 pages ought to be good. Anyways,what do you guys think? Read and review! AND TELL ME ABOUT MISSPELLINGS! They escape me sometimes, and I'm too lazy for beta-readers. Also, thanks Mr. Anonymous for telling me about the mistake I made.


	9. Chapter 9

**Kasek:** Okay, here we go. The first fight with Zabuza and whatnot. As I've said before, I don't use beta-readers aside from myself, and I'm tired today, so don't be surprised at any mistakes.

**Disclaimer:** I own next to nothing. Certainly not Naruto, and certainly not One Piece.

**Chapter 9: Demon of the Hidden Mist**

Naruto peered over the side of the boat as it slowly moved across the water as the oarman rowed along. He was starting to have second thoughts about protecting Tazuna, if it meant having to constantly be near deep water. He looked back at his teammates- with the mist so thick, it was really either stare at them or the water.

Sasuke was leaning on the side of the boat nonchalantly, as was Kakashi. Hinata was scanning the surroundings with her Byakugan, which made the veins around her near-white eyes bulge, making sure nobody was after them. Tazuna was being himself- drinking from his sake bottle while being worried. Naruto turned to the oarman. "Why aren't we using that engine, again?"

The man growled at him "What, you WANT to get caught by Gatou?"

_Tazuna sighed. "Look, I'll tell you who's after me, but you're not gonna like what you hear."_

_Sasuke snorted. "We'll decide that later, alright? Just tell us already."_

_Tazuna nodded. "He's a super dangerous man... a shipping magnate by the name of Gatou."_

_Naruto was nearly shocked. "Gatou, from the Gatou Company? He's... he's one of the richest men in the world! Why's he after YOUR head?"_

_Tazuna grimaced. "On the outside, he seems to be running a perfectly legit company... but deeper in, he's a criminal overlord, who uses whatever means necessary- be it gang members or shinobi- to take over other businesses, and even countries."_

_Kakashi put his hand on his chin. "So... he's after the Land of Waves now, is he?"_

_Tazuna nodded slowly. "More like is almost finished with it. He's nearly taken over the country- he's in charge of everything that leaves and enters the country. All that needs to be done is make sure the bridge doesn't get finished, and he'll be in complete control."_

_Hinata spoke up. "If you knew such a dangerous man was after you... why did you only hire Genin like us?"_

_Tazuna tilted his head, shading his eyes with his hat. "You see, the Land of Waves is super poor. Even the feudal lord has no money. We emptied the treasury just to hire a bunch of super brats like you. But... if you really want to go ahead and quit the mission, I'll be fine. I'll only die, that's all."_

_Kakashi attempted to interject. "But..."_

_Tazua continued on. "And my cute grandson will cry for a few days... and my daughter will live the rest of her sad life cursing Leaf shinobi... ah, don't mind me, I kind of ramble in my old age."_

_Kakashi turned to his team. "Well, all things considered, I guess we should continue onwards. A mission's a mission... even if we are being underpaid for it."_

The man rowing the boat looked up. "We're getting close to the bridge. The Land of Waves is just beyond that."

Naruto looked up at said bridge- the mist was lifting, so he could see it semi-clearly. To put it bluntly, it was HUGE. The oarman grunted. "We'll take the route with more vegetation we'll be less likely to be spotted that way." Tazuna grunted his thanks, and after a minute, they entered a tunnel. When they got to the other side, Naruto found himself gaping at his surroundings- there were a bunch of houses built on the water, and many plants were coming out of the water, as well. It almost made Naruto jealous of people who could live here without fear, and then remembered that they were, in fact, living in fear- just not of the water.

They stopped next to a dock, and everyone took that as the signal to get out. The oarman grunted. "This is as far as I go. See ya, Tazuna." The man turned on the engine and sped off. Tazuna turned to his group. "Well, get me home alive, alright?"

Kakashi nodded absentmindedly. "Hai, hai." He was more concerned with other matters. _You don't realize how hard that's going to be, Tazuna-san... the next ninja to come after us will more than likely be a Jonin of a very high caliber. After all, Gatou has more than enough money to hire a whole village for the whole purpose of killing you..."_

After a while of walking into the woods, Naruto stiffened. _This feeling..._ He immmediately took a shuriken from his leg pouch and threw it into a nearby bush. Immediately, everyone was on alert. Naruto dashed to the place where his shuriken landed... and found a white rabbit, scared half to death. "Oops. It was just a rabbit, guys." He held it up for the others to see. "Guess it must've been the fox in me that made me do that..."

While Tazuna berated Naruto for his stupidity, Hinata took the rabbit in her arms. "Aw, poor Usagi-san..." Kakashi observed it from a distance. _A snow rabbit... so why is it white? And when Naruto stiffened... I could feel the slightest glimmer of killer intent, and not from him, either..."_ He felt another hint of the kiling intent. "Everyone, get down, now!"

He gave the order not a moment too soon- as everyone lay on the ground, what appeared to be the world's biggest shuriken flew right through their ranks, curved upwards, and sank itself into a tree. They all looked up at it- it was not a shuriken, but a very large sword, and currently perched on top of the sword was a man whose eyes glowed with anger for not having beheaded them. Kakashi seemed to recognize the man instantly. "Ex-Mist shinobi... Momochi Zabuza."

All three Genin took ready stances- the rabbit bounding away-, but Kakashi waved them off. "Stand back. This guy's on a whole other level from the last two..." He brought his hand up to where his left eye ought to be. Zabuza growled. "Sharingan Kakashi... sorry, but the old man's head is mine. Orders are orders."

All three Genin appeared shocked. Naruto's eyes widened. "Sh-Sharingan..." Hinata's ready stance faltered. "But..." Sasuke nearly lost his grip on his kunai. "Only the Uchiha have..."

Kakashi grunted. "Alright team, your orders are to surround and protect Tazuna. Do not engage the enemy unless he engages you first. Zabuza... your orders are..." Kakashi lifted his hitai-ate, revealing a blood red eye underneath, with three comma-shaped tomoe seals on the iris, seemingly rotating. "...to fight with me... and to die."

Zabuza chuckled. "For you to bring out the Sharingan this early in a fight... I'm honored. I used to keep a handbook of important information back when I worked for Kirikagure... and what it said about you... Kakashi of the Sharingan, Copy Ninja Kakashi, the Man Who Copied A Thousand Jutsu..."

Sasuke gulped. With a reputation like that, than his Sharingan must be real... but where did he get it? Only Uchiha were supposed to be able to inherit the Sharingan, as it was a genetic trait. And this man was certainly no Uchiha... right?

Zabuza put his hand on the hilt of his blade. "Now then, let's cut the chatter. I have to kill the old man... and you have to kill me to prevent that. I wonder which will happen first...?" In an instant, both he and his blade disappeared. Hinata activated her Byakugan, and pointed towards a nearby lake. "Over there! He's on top of the water!"

They all looked, and indeed, he was standing on top of the water. Naruto growled. He knew that taking a mission to the Land of Waves was a bad idea. He just HAD to open his big mouth... Zabuza took an unusual pose, with his right hand in front of him, and his left arm pointed straight up. "Ninpo... Kirigakure no jutsu." Mist swirled around him, and in a few moments, the entire area was covered in it.

Kakashi swore under his breath. "Guys, watch out! Zabuza's a master of the silent kill. You won't even notice you're dead until you're in the afterlife. He'll probably come after me first, but I can't use this Sharingan perfectly. Be very careful."

An instant later, a voice seemed to emanate from the very mist itself, though the voice was Zabuza's. "8 points... liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, neck vein, brain, kidneys, heart. Which should I go for?" All three Genin were immediately unnerved- those eight points were all very fatal. Hinata gulped. "I can't see him anywhere..." Naruto shifted to his fox form. "This mist is too thick... it's eliminating his scent."

However, Kakashi did seem to see something, as he immediately threw his hands together to make a seal. The pressure from his chakra caused Sasuke to grip his kunai even tighter. _This is... the intensity of a fight between Jonin... the pressure's enough to squeeze the life out of me..._ Kakashi called out to him. "Sasuke! Don't worry. I'll protect you with my life. I don't... let my comrades die." He turned to face them, his eyes closed in such a manner as to suggest he was smiling.

"We'll just see about that..." Zabuza immediately appeared in the middle of the group, and Hinata and Naruto- the former of whom was using her Byakugan, which granted her near 360 degree vision, and the latter of whom was relying on his animal instincts- immediately turned around to try to attack him. However, Kakashi beat them to it, and stabbed Zabuza in the chest. However, this Zabuza melted into a puddle of water, and another Zabuza appeared behind them. Naruto, still a fox, jumped past his sensei and onto this Zabuza's face.

"Guh... get off my face!" Zabuza began swinging his blade wildly, and sliced Kakashi in half- and Kakashi, too, turned into a puddle of water. Zabuza ripped Naruto off of his face, and stared at the puddle where Kakashi had been. "He... copied my Mizu Bunshin... even through the mist?" Kakashi appeared behind him, placing a kunai to Zabuza's neck. "Don't move... it's over."

The bystanders sighed. However, Zabuza chuckled. "Over? Please. A copycat like you... could never beat the real deal. I'll admit, that was impressive... copying my clone through the mist. You created your own clone, and made it say those words to get my attention. However... I'm not that easy." A moment later, and Zabuza melted into water. Hinata cried out in fear. "Sensei! Behind you!"

Kakashi swore under his mask, and ducked under Zabuza's inevitable sword swing. Zabuza let the sword sail over Kakashi and dig into the ground behind him, and used the sword hilt to push himself towards Kakashi and send him flying with a kick. Before he could follow Kakashi, however, he realized that Kakashi had left makabishi- multi-spiked nails- scattered on the ground in his path. Zabuza merely jumped over them and towards Kakashi, who had landed in the water. Kakashi brought his head out of the water, and took a look at his hand. _This water... it's heavy... !!_

Zabuza appeared behind him, standing on top of the water. "Fool... I'm a Mist ninja. Water is my element of choice!" A few handseals later, and Kakashi was trapped in an orb of water, unable to move. "Suiro no jutsu- Water Prison. Very useful in incapacitating one's enemies. Now then..." He lifted one hand, and a clone of Zabuza rose from the water. "...I'll take care of you later. I have some brats to kill."

Naruto, who had already changed back into his human form and rejoined with his team, growled, and pointed to his hitai-ate. "Brats? I'll have you know that we're ninja of Konohakagure!"

The Zabuza clone chuckled. "Ninja? You think those hitai-ate make you... _ninja_? Let me tell you something... a ninja is someone who has had numerous brushes with death. When you're deadly enough to be in my handbook... then, you may call yourself, _ninja_." The mist thickened again, and Zabuza disappeared. A moment later, and Naruto was sent flying by a kick to the face, his hitai-ate falling to the ground where he stood. Zabuza stomped on it and shifted his weight, burying it a little. Hinata ran over to Naruto, but he brushed her off. "Like I said... you guys are brats."

Kakashi swore under his breath. "Guys! Just take Tazuna and run! He can't run with me in here, and his clone can't move far! You don't stand a chance, just run!"

Naruto growled, a hint of red making it into his irises. "I told you... I am a ninja... I'm a shinobi, of Konohagakure no Sato, and I WILL be its Hokage one day... if I can't beat a guy like this, who has abandoned his village, the way of the shinobi... then I don't deserve to live!"

He charged at Zabuza, who merely kicked him away. "If that's how you feel about it, then why don't you just give in and die?"

Naruto got up, and held his hitai-ate up proudly. "Hey, you! You eyebrowless freak of nature! Put this in your stupid handbook! The future Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves... Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha no Kitsune!"

Zabuza chuckled. "Kitsune? Ah, so that little fox was YOUR doing..."

Naruto put his hands together, and four clones appeared at his side- specifically, two small foxes and two of the lean hybrids. Zabuza stared at him increduously. _Four summonings... just like that? Who IS this kid?!_ Naruto smirked. "Sasuke, Hinata, get over here! I've got a plan, and I need you for it!"

Kakashi pressed against the walls of his prison. "You guys! I gave you an order! Go now!"

Naruto grinned. "Sorry, sensei... but, we'll never leave one of our comrades behind! Even if we're looked down upon as trash by the rest of the world!"

Kakashi's eyes widened, and Naruto's hair seemed to tinge black in his vision. _That speech... it seems history loves to repeat itself..._

Zabuza chuckled. "So, you intend to keep playing ninja? When I was your age... these hands were already stained red with the blood of others."

Kakashi glared at him. "Zabuza, the devil..."

Zabuza smiled under his mask. "Ah, so you've heard of that..."

Kakashi grimaced. "The reject who killed over a hundred Academy students, just to prove that he was worthy to join..."

Zabuza growled. "It appears you've heard too much..."

Sasuke snorted. "Killed over a hundred kids? Please. I could do that, if I wanted. But you know something? That kind of thing isn't what shinobi do. What we do..."

One of Naruto's foxes dashed and got on Zabuza's clone's face, temporarily blinding it. In a flash, Sasuke cut it with his kunai down. "...is cut down our foes, one at a time, skillfully. Massacre is the thing that those without a brain do." He grimaced, as if remembering something.

Zabuza snorted. "Please, I can make as many of those as I need to..." His eyes widened when the second fox appeared in front of his face. Quickly, he swatted it away with his hand, causing it to disappear. However, one of the hybrids was behind it, ready to punch him in the face. Zabuza took the sword from his back and sliced it in half, causing it to disappear, too. Naruto hissed in pain, and Hinata grabbed his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, just... that sword of his. Something's weird about it, but I can't put my finger on it."

Zabuza pointed his sword at the Genin. "Two targets down... six to go. Not much of a challenge, if you ask me."

Naruto grinned. "Well, if it's a challenge you want..." He reached deep inside himself, and pulled on some of the strength that once belonged to the fearsome Kyuubi no Kitsune. Placing his hands together in the now-familiar seal, an entire army of clones appeared out of thin air. "...why not try a thousand targets?"

Zabuza froze in shock. "Th-this many clones... all of them solid... who IS this kid?" He shook it off. "Bah, whether it be one or one thousand, I'll cut all of you down!" He held his left hand in front of him, and several clones of himself appeared from the water, swords at the ready. A moment later, and what could pass as the greatest battle the Land of Waves had ever seen began- wave after wave of blond Genin attacking the swordsmen, who cut them down effortlessly.

However, the real Zabuza, being distracted, failed to notice the presence behind him until it was almost too late. He pulled his right arm away from his water prison just as the kunai came down, and he was surprised to see Sasuke behind him. "Peek-a-boo!" Zabuza pulled his fist back, and tried to punch Sasuke in the face. However, his punch was intercepted by Kakashi, who was now free of the water prison. "Seems you just got beaten by a bunch of kids playing ninja, Zabuza."

Zabuza was visibly angry, and turned to his clones. Immediately, they began performing handseals, and their arms melted away from in front of them. A moment later, and the entire army of Narutos, along with Hinata and Tazuna, were trapped within Zabuza's giant water prison. The clones all immediately disappeared, and one Naruto remained, who quickly sank to the bottom of the giant orb. Zabuza frowned. "That's odd... he shouldn't sink like that, not in the Suiro..." He grabbed his sword, and tried to slice Kakashi in half, but the Jonin jumped back further onto the lake. Sasuke dashed past Zabuza, hoping to save his comrades and client- however, when he reached the Zabuzas, they proved quite adept at defending themselves with just their feet.

Hinata dived down towards Naruto, fear and concern in her eyes. After using her hitai-ate to bind his mouth and nose, she approached the edge of the prison and glared one of the clones in the face. The Zabuza clone smirked back, obviously amused. It was not amused, however, when Hinata slammed her hand against the barrier, creating a burst of chakra that melted the clone, and caused the dome to grow significantly smaller. She swam over, and began eliminating them one by one, until they were all gone. After gaining her breath back, she ran with Sasuke over to Naruto and Tazuna. Tazuna had already removed Hinata's hitai-ate, and was checking Naruto for a pulse. "This is bad... he's gonna need CPR. Either of you guys know how? I forgot ages ago."

Hinata froze- was this some kind of running joke by the gods? She blushed. "W-well, I do, but, umm..."

Sasuke growled. "Fine, I'll do it. But if Naruto EVER finds out, you will find there are things FAR worse than death."

A few moments later, and Naruto spurted out the water that had been in his lungs. "Ugh... what happened?"

Tazuna frowned. "That jutsu of his activated your curse, and you got knocked out."

Naruto nodded. "I see... then, how come I'm not...?"

Tazuna smiled. "Your friends here managed to cancel it rather quickly, so no harm done."

Naruto nodded again. "Uh-huh... I didn't need CPR, did I?"

Tazuna looked towards Sasuke and Hinata, who were shaking their heads vigorously, but had to stop when Naruto followed Tazuna's gaze. "N-no, Hinata made sure none of the water got into your lungs before anything else."

Naruto grinned at Hinata. "Thanks, Hinata! I really don't want to waste my first kiss yet! I mean, not that I'd mind, but I want to save it for a special moment, you know?"

Hinata blushed, and nodded. The image of Sasuke pinning her to a dungeon wall with kunai kept her from saying anything just as much as the image of Naruto and her kissing with fireworks in the background did.

Sasuke growled. "Idiot, CPR doesn't count as kissing."

Naruto frowned. "It does if the two people know each other!"

Before Sasuke could kill Naruto himself, their attention was brought to the lake, where Kakashi and Zabuza were having a staredown. They quickly went through a series of seals, and two large dragons made of water rose from the lake and crashed into each other. The backwash from the two dragons collapsing nearly knocked the bystanders over. Sasuke stood amazed. _Kakashi copied that many seals in so few seconds perfectly... he really does have the Sharingan!_

As the waters calmed, the spectators could see Zabuza and Kakashi clashng, their weapons- Zabuza's sword and Kakashi's kunai- pushing against each other for dominance. They separated, each taking the same pose. Zabuza stared at him increduously. _Strange... it's almost like he's..._

Kakashi's voice finished his sentence. "...reading my movements."

Zabuza growled. _What?! He can read my mind, too?! That... _"...freaky eye is pissing me off! Right?"

Zabuza became nearly enraged. "You little monkey! All you're doing is copying me!" He went from 'nearly' to 'completely' when he realized that those words had left Kakashi's mouth at the same time that they had left his own. "You...! I'll make it so you can never copy anyone ever again!" He went through several handseals, but froze when he saw what appeared to be himself standing just behind Kakashi. _Is that... me? Impossible! It must be one of his genjutsu..._ He was further shocked when Kakashi completed the jutsu before he did. _Impossible! I'm the original... so why can't I keep up?!_

In a moment, the entire body of water they were fighting on seemed to rise up from in front of Kakashi and dashed towards Zabuza, and enveloped him. He couldn't fight against the vicious current, and soon found himself slamming into a tree. The water level lowered, and Zabuza found his right arm and right leg pinned to the tree with kunai. Kakashi appeared on one of the branches of the tree. Zabuza growled. "How...? Can you see the future?"

Kakashi raised his kunai threateningly. "Yeah... you're gonna die here."

A moment later, and two long needles speared Zabuza through the neck. A mysterious masked figure appeared on another branch. "Hehe, you're right... He's dead."

**Kasek:** Why not end it where the manga does, hmm? Yeah, so, give your comments, and criticisms, and stuff. Also, that amateur mistake I made two chapters ago? It wasn't forgetting Naruto's powers- it was forgetting the recital of Obito's line! Well, I'm not gonna go back and change it... I'll get Kakashi to say it later, I guess.

And, yeah, a lot of it is taken almost directly from the manga. The story will diverge more and more from canon as time goes on, fear not. Also, I read in someone else's fanfiction that Zabuza failed to get into the Academy, so he trained himself and killed all the students to show that he was worthy of becoming a shinobi, so I borrowed it. Don't know who did it first, though, sorry. Just wanted to diverge from canon a bit.


	10. Chapter 10

**Kasek: **Well, not much to say;. I am _so_ sorry about the parts that are pretty much ripped from the manga. ...while we're at it, maybe I need to get rid of chapter titles. Some of them are... kinda lame.

**Chapter 10: Of Demons and Heroes**

Kakashi kneeled next to Zabuza and checked his pulse to make extra sure the man was dead- he knew better than to trust appearances, even if that appearance was two needles through the throat. Kakashi sighed in relief- the man was most definitely dead.

The mystery figure bowed. "Thank you very much. I've been waiting to kill Zabuza for quite some time now."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at Zabuza's killer. "That mask... you're a Hunter-nin from Kirigakure, right?"

The person nodded. "You are correct. I am a Hunter-nin from Kirigakure. It is my duty to hunt down missing-nin and dispose of them."

Kakashi examined the newcomer. From his voice and height, he was most likely only a little older than his team... and yet he was a Hunter-nin- an impressive accomplishment. One more thought entered his brain- _He's not a normal kid._

Naruto kept looking between the Hunter-nin and Zabuza. The Hunter-nin was obviously confused by this behavior. "What's wrong?"

Naruto grit his teeth. "We went through all that trouble just to hurt Zabuza... and then you come along and kill him like it was nothing! You're not much older than we are, and yet..."

Kakashi patted him on the shoulder. "I understand how you feel, Naruto. But listen- there are children younger than you... but stronger than me. Remember that." Naruto gave off a low growl, but nodded.

In a whirlwind of leaves, the Hunter-nin appeared next to Zabuza's corpse. "Since the battle is over now, I'll dispose of the corpse. After all, this body holds many secrets..." A second later, and another whirlwind of leaves appeared, and when it disappeared, the two of them were gone with it.

Kakashi placed his hitai-ate back over his Sharingan eye. "Well, now that that's all said and done, we need to get Tazuna to his place, pronto."

Tazuna took a few gulps out of his sake bottle and grinned. "Thanks a lot! You guys are great- no, super! Come on, you can relax at my house, it's not far from here!"

However, before they could get moving, Kakashi collapsed. All present gathered around his prone body. Hinata took out a med-kit. "Sensei! What's wrong?!"

Kakashi managed to let out a groan before using the last of his energy to talk. "S-seems I used up too much chakra using the Sharingan..."

--

Kakashi groaned as he awoke from his mini-coma. A woman was standing over him- she couldn't have been any older than he was. "Are you alright, sensei?"

Kakashi groaned, and looked around. His team was here, as well as Tazuna- this woman, by deduction, was Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, whom he had mentioned a couple of times on their trip. "I'm alright, I guess. I won't be able to move normally for a week, though."

Hinata gasped. "I didn't know that the Sharingan carried such a high risk to the user..."

Kakashi continued staring at the ceiling. "Normally, it doesn't. I'm sure Sasuke's seen the Sharingan plenty of times in his past."

An image of blood splattering on the walls entered Sasuke's mind, and he shivered momentarily. "You're going to have to explain it to us some other time. I want to hear more about that Hunter-nin."

Kakashi sighed. "Right... Hunter-nin... or body erasers. Their job is to kill missing-nin and eliminate their corpses... rather thoroughly. A ninja's body holds many secrets. Say, the secrets of the medicine they take, the jutsu they use... the bloodlines they carry." This time it was Hinata who shivered, remembering a hitai-ate with cloud symbols on it. "So, by killing those ninja who have abandoned their village and disposing of their corpses, they prevent the secrets of the village from being leaked. Not a trace left... that is a ninja's end."

Finally it was Naruto's turn to shiver- he couldn't keep the image of Zabuza's various body parts, in a jumbled pile, being tossed into a fire one by one from entering his mind.

--

The Hunter-nin sat by Zabuza's corpse, a roll of tools laid out behind him. He took one tool that was similar to a pair of scissors, but with one handle, and faced Zabuza. "First, I'll cut the mouth cloth, drain some blood and..."

He was shocked when the supposedly dead Zabuza grabbed his wrist and at the same time pulled down on his facial bandages, creating a part in them that revealed his mouth- which was lined with sharp teeth, like a shark's. "That's quite alright... I'd prefer to do it myself."

The boy sighed. "Back to life already, are you?"

Zabuza grabbed one of the needles in his neck. "Che... as always, you were rough with me." He pulled the needle out, causing blood to spurt out of both ends of the hole. The boy tilted his head. "That doesn't mean you can be. You'll really die if you're careless."

Zabuza pulled out another needle. "Why are you wearing that stupid mask, Haku? I hate that thing... gives me the creeps."

Haku pulled off the mask, revealing a most effeminate face- complete with make-up. "Sorry, needed it for the act. Plus, it reminds me of the old days."

Zabuza tightened the wrappings around his neck. "Well, did you have to use my neck? There are better acupuncture points."

Haku nodded. "Maybe... but I didn't want to scar your body. Using a spot you always cover up anyways seemed better. Plus, the muscles in the neck are weaker than in the rest of the body. It was easier to do."

Zabuza glared at Haku. Haku merely smiled. "You probably won't be able to move normally for a week."

Zabuza sighed. "Both pure and clever... that's what I like about you."

Haku nodded. "Well, I am a kid." He looked up. "The mist is clearing..." His smile turned into a frown. "Will you be alright by yourself next time?"

Zabuza glared at nothing in particular. "I _will_ defeat the Sharingan."

--

Kakashi woke up in a flash, and sat straight up- he brought his hand up to his left eye. _This feeling... Zabuza's dead, yet..._

Hinata was worried. "What's wrong, sensei?"

Kakashi glared at the ground. "How did... that boy dispose of the body?"

Sasuke frowned. "He didn't. Not in front of us."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Wait a sec... we weren't going to attack him... why'd he take the corpse away?"

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "If he needed proof that Zabuza was dead, he could've just taken his head. Another thing- the weapons he used..."

Hinata gasped. "Senbon..."

Kakashi nodded. "Right on."

The conversation was going on too fast for Tazuna to follow. "Wait, what's going on here?"

Kakashi frowned under his mask. "In all likelihood... Zabuza is still alive."

Sasuke growled, obviously discontent with the possibility of facing such a monstrous person again. "I thought you said he was dead. You _checked_."

Kakashi nodded. "Well, as a Hunter-nin, that boy could easily have faked it... Considering all of the factors, if Zabuza really is still alive, he'll be out even longer than I will- needles through the neck aside, a momentary death like that takes a lot out of a person. We have ten days, tops to get ready for him."

Tazuna frowned. "Aren't you thinking this through a bit too much?"

Naruto shook his head. "It's our way of life- always be prepared. Besides... this Gatou guy's super rich, right? He could hire even more guys like Zabuza if he wanted..."

Hinata glanced at the floor. "Um... sensei, by 'get ready for him', what do you mean? You can barely move..."

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "By training you guys, of course."

Sasuke frowned. "You had a tough time with it with your Sharingan... and you expect us to get that much better in a week?"

Kakashi's smile didn't fade. "You guys did extraordinarily well for Genin. I think we can get some good training in... Besides, this is just while I get better. I mean, to defeat him without my help... while I'd be extremely proud if you pulled it off, I'd prefer to be part of the action."

Naruto smiled- his enthusiasm showed. "Training, huh? I can't wait, Sarutobi-sensei never did much more than chakra control exercises with me. This is gonna be great!"

"Great? That's not great..."

All present were surprised at the appearance of a small, dark haired child, wearing a hat. He did not look pleased. Tazuna, however, was. "Inari! Where have you been! Come, come, give your old grandfather a hug!"

Inari did as told, though with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm. "Welcome back... Grandpa..."

Tsunami kneeled next to the two of them. "Inari, say hello to these people. They're the ninja who protected your grandfather from Gatou's men."

Inari glanced at them. "What's the point? They're just going to die anyways."

Naruto growled. "What was that...?"

Inari glared at him. "There's no way you can defeat a demon like Gatou..."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Demon? You have no idea who you're talking to..." Naruto made to get up, but Hinata grabbed his hand. "Naruto, he's just a little boy...!" Naruto shook off her hand- an act that more than got Sasuke's attention. Was he that mad...? "I don't care what kind of man Gatou is... I, who am called 'Demon' in my village... I vowed to become a hero, the greatest our village- no, the world- has ever seen... even if it means toppling another so-called 'Demon' like him...!"

Inari's glare intensified. "What are you, stupid? There are no such things... as heroes."

Sasuke thought he saw a hint of red in Naruto's eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly when Hinata grabbed his arm a bit more forcefully than the last time. Inari moved towards one of the doors. Tazuna reached out to him. "Inari... where are you going?"

Inari glanced back into the room as he opened the door. "I'm going to my room to look at the ocean..."

Tazuna glanced at Naruto. "Sorry..."

Naruto shook off Hinata once more, and marched out the same way Inari had left. Kakashi sighed. "This... can't end well..."

Naruto marched up the stairs that were on the other side of the doorway. He found a door at the top of the stairs that he assumed was probably Inari's room. However, just before he grabbed the door handle, he heard a sob. Naruto stood there transfixed as Inari cried inside of his room, crying for his father. Naruto, now entirely discouraged, decided to leave the boy alone, and walked back downstairs.

--

Kakashi, now on crutches, had brought his team to the forest. "Alright, I guess we'll start the training... I wanted to work on chakra control, but... I guess you guys know more than enough about that, don't you?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know?"

Kakashi sighed. "Well... Hinata's a Hyuuga- it's pretty much a given that she have very precise chakra control. And I saw Sasuke walk on the water earlier... and you, Naruto, were just complaining earlier about how much the Sandaime focused on your chakra control. I would assume you can walk on water, but then again..."

Naruto frowned. "'Then again', what?"

Kakashi sighed. "Just remembering back to the bell test, that's all."

Naruto immediately knew what he implied with that. "T-that was... you caught me by surprise, that's all. Same thing happened to you with Zabuza, right?!"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, I suppose it did... So, Sasuke, where'd you learn it, then?"

Sasuke glanced to the side. "I picked it up from them, alright? What are friends for?"

Kakashi smiled, remembering his younger days. "Hehe, I suppose you're right... but, this does change things quite a bit. I actually wanted to get you guys started on tree-walking... but to be this advanced already... you're taking all the fun out of being a teacher."

Hinata glanced down ashamedly at the ground. "S-sorry, sensei..."

Kakashi sighed. "Jeez, it's called a joke, Hinata... but, I think I know what I _can_ teach you." He brought out a few slips of paper. "Here, channel your chakra through these."

The three Genin took the slips of paper. Naruto raised it up to the sunlight. "These aren't going to explode on us, are they?"

Kakashi chuckled. "They won't explode. Spontaneously combust, maybe, but not explode." Naruto shivered, and held his with the tips of his fingers. "Don't worry, Naruto, they can't hurt you. You see, these papers are meant to determine your chakra elements."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You mean, like how mine is fire?"

Kakashi turned to him. "Just because you're an Uchiha skilled with Katon jutsu doesn't mean you're a Fire element. For all we know, you could be Earth-type."

Naruto looked at his paper. "You mean the five elements, right? Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water?"

Kakashi nodded. "Correct. The paper will react according to your elements. Just channel your chakra already, will you?"

Naruto gulped, and did as told. A moment later, and the paper was split in two. He looked to see what had happened to the others- Sasuke's had crumpled, and Hinata's had gotten damp. Kakashi smiled. "Well, that's good- I can teach two of you how to handle your elements. Naruto, you're the oddball-out."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. "What?! But you said-"

Kakashi sighed, and gave Naruto the 'Lazy Eye'. "Look, I'm sorry, but I can't teach a Wind-type. You'll have to get training for that some other time. But, Water and Lightning, that I can do." Sasuke frowned. "But... I thought all Uchiha were..."

Kakashi sighed. "Admittedly, Fire or Wind would've been a good twist of fate for you... but, at the same time, as you are an Uchiha, they will expect Fire attacks and get something else entirely, instead." He then turned to Hinata. "As for you, young lady, Water is perfect for you. You saw what Zabuza can do with it- I think it would certainly be an advantage to a Byakugan user to blind his opponent, right?" And finally he turned back to Naruto. "As an offensive type, Naruto, Wind is certainly the best choice- it cuts through just about anything. Don't feel bad about it. I'll see to it that you get some training- it'll be a little difficult, as Wind is a rare element, but that makes it all the more worth it."

Naruto sighed. "So, what do I do while you guys train?"

Kakashi pulled Naruto to the side, and whispered in his ear. "Look, I'm not the expert on all things demonic, but your powers seem to be evolving. You should work not only on that, but on your Kage Bunshin, as well. That was a nice stunt you pulled back with Zabuza- making them appear to be summons- but if you train, you'll find that there are many more tricks to be found with them than that."

Naruto nodded, his disappointment at not learning how to control the air itself showing. "Hai..."

Kakashi went back to his other students. "Alright, I guess we're going to have to go visit the waterside, then. We can't do Water-element training without water, now."

As they departed, they didn't (or pretended not to) notice Inari spying on them. He turned back, and a flash of a man's grin appeared in his mind. "They're just wasting their time..."

--

Zabuza was lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, with Haku sitting at his bedside. Haku glared at the doorway as Gatou and two men- one, a muscular man named Waraji covered with scars, tatoos, and even an eyepatch for his right eye, but no shirt; the other a younger looking man named Zouri, who had long, light hair, covered by a dark cap, with a very baggy jacket. Both had katana at their sides, though Waraji was obviously left-handed- his blade was attached to the right side of his hip, while Zouri's was on his left. Amusingly, they were both wearing the kinds of sandals that they shared names with.

Gatou smirked. "So, even you have come back defeated... Mist ninja aren't so great." Gatou began walking towards the bed in the center of the large room. "You call yourself a devil? You can't even avenge your own men..."

Zabuza seemed to tense- if only the slightest bit- and immediately, Gatou's bodyguards got in front of their master, hands ready to draw their blades. Haku tensed- were they going to attack? However, Gatou waved them off, and continued approaching the bed. "What's this? Why the silent treatment?" Gatou reached for Zabuza's neck. "How about..."

His hand stopped when his arm was seized violently by Haku. "Don't you _dare_ touch him with your filthy little hands." A moment later, and you could hear the bones cracking in his arm. The two bodyguards immediately began to draw their swords- only to realize that their swords were not in their own hands, but Haku's, and that the blades were pointed at their throats.

For a moment they were startled, and then they began to grin. Gatou realized what was going on and stopped it before it was too late. "One more chance, you hear me? Failure will _not _be tolereated! Zouri, Waraji, we're leaving!"

As the three of them left, Zabuza sighed- he didn't get the chance to use the kunai he had hidden under the sheets. "You didn't have to, you know."

Haku smiled. "I know. But, it's still too early to kill him. We need his protection, at least for now. Please, be patient."

Zabuza sighed. "I guess you're right..."

--

Sasuke marveled as electricity flowed around his hands. It certainly wasn't powerful, but he could still startle someone with it. He had never imagined such a thing as controlling electricity- and he breathed fire on occasion. Kakashi smiled. "Ah, you seem to be getting the hang of it. I'm a better teacher than I thought. And you, Hinata?"

Hinata, at the moment, had been concentrating on manipulating some water around in the air above her by just using her chakra. Her concentration having been disrupted, she was given an impromptu shower. "U-um... I'm getting better, but I need to learn how to keep my concentration..."

Kakashi called out onto the lake. "How's it going, Naruto?"

Naruto ducked a punch from, well, himself. "I'm kind of busy right now!" Busy might not have been the right word- out on the lake, an army of Narutos, composed of his three basic forms, were having an all-out brawl. It was certainly good chakra control practice, as well as good taijutsu training, as well as a good way to increase his chakra capacity- not that he needed it, from Kakashi's point of view. The boy had more chakra than anyone else in all of Konoha.

Kakashi thought back to the time Naruto had shown that new form in front of the Demon Brothers. It was only a little, but he had definitely felt it- the Kyuubi no Kitsune's chakra. It was certainly not hard to miss. Was that creature responsible for the evolution of Naruto's powers? It would certainly explain why Naruto couldn't access them now- the Kyuubi was a being of intense malice- its power was more than likely brought to the surface before because Naruto had been angry. Now that he thought about it, he felt a tiny bit of it back when Inari had insulted Naruto, as well. If this kept up, Naruto might learn how to control it- hopefully, before _it_ learns how to control _him_.

**Kasek:** Yeah, they, uh, know how to water-walk. And they (Sasuke and Hinata) are learning how to manipulate elements.

...why are you looking at me like that? What? ...yeah, it's not very original, but... I figured water-walking would be something Naruto and Hinata would already know, and it'd be unfair to leave Sasuke in the dust. At the same time, I want them to have something Naruto doesn't- I mean come on, he's the Hokage's apprentice, a Jinchuuriki, _and_ a holder of the power of the Akuma no Mi And it's not like he's not going to gain abilities as time goes on, so... yeah.

Leave reviews, please! Some of them are actually quite helpful.


	11. Chapter 11

**Kasek:** Not much to say. This is pretty much going by the manga. Expect something original next chapter, though.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor One Piece.**

**Chapter 11: Calm Before the Storm**

Naruto yawned as he sat on the side of the bridge as Tazuna's workers moved about, putting pieces of the bridge where they belonged. Tazuna grunted when he saw Naruto, and not because he was carrying a large wooden beam. "You look super-bored. Where are those other two?"

Naruto crossed his arms, obviously displeased. "Kakashi-sensei's training them."

Tazuna raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you with them?"

Naruto sighed. "Well... it's complicated. But, long story short, they're able to be trained. Kakashi-sensei doesn't have anything he _can_ teach me."

Tazuna sighed. "So, that's all that's on your mind, then?"

Naruto frowned. "Now that you mention it- there's something I've been meaning to ask-"

"Hey! Tazuna!"

Tazuna put down his beam and turned to face the man who called him. The man was obviously Tazuna's age, though he didn't have a beard, nor did he have a beer belly. He had taken off his har-hat, carrying it with his left arm. "Huh? What is it, Giichi?"

Giichi frowned. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and... can I stop working on the bridge?"

Tazuna was surprised. "Why?! This is so sudden! Not you too!"

Giichi was obviously displeased with having to break the news. "Tazuna, we've been close for a long time. I want to help you, I really do. But if this keeps up, Gatou's going to notice us. If you get killed, what would be the point? Why don't we just quit building this bridge?"

Naruto gulped- the atmosphere was intense.

Tazuna sighed, and looked around the bridge. "I can't do that. This bridge... is _our_ bridge. This is the bridge that we started building, because we knew it would bring resources into our super poor country."

Giichi looked shocked. His helmet fell to the ground as he tried to gesture to Tazuna. "B-but! If we lose our lives...!"

Tazuna turned around and tilted his helmet forward. "It's already noon, let's stop for today. Giichi...you don't have to come tomorrow."

Naruto growled to himself. Shinobi considered it an honor to die for your country. To give up so easily after coming so far... Tazuna turned to Naruto. "Oh, right, you said you had something to ask me?"

Naruto shook his head. "N-nah, I'll ask you later. It isn't... _too_ important." Tazuna nodded, and began walking back towards home, with Naruto following behind. Naruto frowned- unfortunately, it might just _be_ important. Naruto hated to prolong getting an answer, but right now seemed to be a bad time for him to ask just how Tazuna knew the nature of his powers. It could just be coincidence- it was an island nation, after all. But he had a nagging feeling in the back of his head that it was certainly not a simple coincidence.

--

Tazuna had gone into town before heading home, Naruto by his side. Tazuna sighed as he swiped some sweat off of his face- even with his large hat to shade him, it was often ridiculously hot in the Land of Waves. "I'm supposed to get lunch for everyone, so I might as well do it while we're here."

Naruto nodded- it made perfect sense. But... he could certainly see why Tazuna wanted to instill hope into his country. Everyone walked with their heads down, and there were some that had signs that said things like "Will take any job" or "Will work for food". He sighed as he heard a cry of "THIEF!" These were certainly sights that he had never seen back home- everyone had a job, and there was plenty of food.

When they found a grocery store, Naruto gulped at the sight of a gaunt youth sitting by the door, a beggar's bowl by his feet. Walking inside, he wasn't too surprised to find that there was little on the shelves- though as a result of lack of food or of high demand, he didn't know, as the country seemed so poor, it could possibly be both. A man walked past him, and Naruto noted the man's eyes on his waist-pouch. Naruto growled at the would-be pickpocket. "Don't even think about it." Intimidated, the man quickly left the store.

As they walked down the street, Naruto took in more sights- none of them pretty, not even the ladies. Tazuna sighed. "It's been like this... ever since Gatoh came. Everyone has lost hope. That's why we need this bridge. A symbol of courage, to impart courage to the fearful, to give them the ability to stand up for themselves... If that bridge is completed, this land, these people will become who they once were."

--

Kakashi smiled as he watched his two students attempt to manipulate their elements through their feet. The ground around Sasuke was scorched due to the electricity intermittently sparking from his feet. The Uchiha smirked to himself- he wondered what it would be like to get kicked in the face and receive a nasty shock at the same time. Most likely not pleasant.

Hinata was on the water, and drawing it from the lake with her feet, lifting the liquid orbs into the air and moving them around using her astounding flexibility. Kakashi called out to her. "You doing alright, Hinata?"

This time, she did not lose her concentration. She even smiled. "H-hai!" Kakashi smiled under his mask- their progress was amazing. They were geniuses, by any standard. It was certainly a boon now, but he realized that it meant that it would kind of take the fun out of teaching them things at a later date. He looked at the sun- it was about noon. "Hey, guys, we should head back now for lunch. You can continue training later."

Sasuke nodded, and began walking back home- making sure to cause sparks everywhere he stepped. Kakashi sighed. "I said _later_, Sasuke."

--

Tazuna laughed as he sat at the full table. "It's been a long time since we've had so many people over for lunch. Please, dig in!"

Sasuke did just that, and even Hinata was eating faster than normal. However, Naruto's appetite was much smaller than normal- he knew how scarce food was, and wanted to keep the feasting down until later on in the week, when he would be needing the energy.

After the meal, Hinata got up and looked at a picture on the wall. Naruto walked up to her and looked at it himself- it was a picture of Tazuna, Tsunami, and a grinning Inari- but there was a fourth person, a man if the arm ruffling Inari's head was any indication, but nearly everything above the waist was torn from the picture. Naruto turned to Tazuna. "Hey, what's up with this picture? Who's the guy ripped out of it?" Naruto already knew who it was- Inari's father... presumably a so-called hero.

Tsunami, who was washing the dishes, paused for a moment. "It's my husband..."

Tazuna finished her sentence for her. "And, the man who was once known as the hero of our city."

Inari rose from his seat and began walking towards the door. Tsunami became worried. "Inari? Where are you going?" Inari ignored her, and walked right out of the building. "Inari!" Tsunami turned to her father, obviously enraged. "Father! I have told you not to talk about that man in front of Inari!" She, too stormed off, slamming the door behind her.

Hinata shied back to her seat. "U-umm... do you mind telling us the story behind all of this?"

Tazuna sighed, putting his cup down. "You see... Inari had a father not related by blood. But they were close, just like a real father and son... back then, Inari laughed a lot..." They could all see Tazuna shuddering from the sadness of the memories, tears forming in his eyes. "But... it all changed after that incident... the word 'courage'... that day, it was stolen from this land, from our people... from Inari."

Sasuke seemed genuinely interested. "What happened?"

Tazuna took off his glasses and wiped the tears out of his eyes. "First... let me tell you about the man who was called a hero in this city."

Hinata tilted her head. "Hero?"

Tazuna nodded. "It was about three years ago, that Inari met him. Inari was being bullied by a boy named Akane, who had taken his dog. When Inari had demanded Pochi- the dog- back, Akane threw Pochi into the water. Inari wasn't able to swim, and didn't have enough courage to try. Akane kicked Inari into the water, and Inari nearly drowned. Don't worry- Pochi figured out how to dog-paddle.

"Anyways, when Inari came to, there was a man cooking fish on a fire. He had saved Inari, and inscribed into his heart these words- 'If you're a man, choose a life of no regrets... For something that is precious to you, no matter how tough, no matter how sad, you must try and try... and even if you lose your life, protect it with these two arms. If you do that, even if you die, the proof of a man's life remains... forever.'

"His name was Kaiza, a fisherman who had come here to follow his dreams. He and Inari grew very close. It may have been because Inari's real father died before Inari could get to know him., but they were insperable, as a real father and son would be. It was only a matter of time before Kaiza became a member of the family."

Naruto smiled- the story reminded him a bit of himself. His parents had died when he was born... or so he was told. He still didn't know if the story of him being the Kyuubi was true or not, but he was hoping it was the latter. Sarutobi had pretty much raised him, and it was nice to be human... or as human as he could get, considering his demonic powers.

"Kaiza was also a man that this city needed. I remember this one time when it was raining so hard that the dams were overflowing. The river gates were forced open, and Kaiza dove right into those rapids with a rope and tied them shut. Kaiza was a hero here... Inari couldn't have been prouder of him. But then... Gatoh came."

Kakashi frowned underneath his mask. "So... Gatoh rears his ugly head once more. What happened?"

Tazuna seemed to struggle for words. "Kaiza... was put to death by Gatoh, in front of everyone." The three genin were too shocked for words. Hinata stopped breathing for a moment. "Kaiza... objected, to Gatoh's presence. Gatoh labeled him as a terrorist and executed him. From that day, Inari, Tsunami... the whole city changed."

Naruto's shocked face turned into a frowning one. He remembered Inari's words from the previous day. '_What are you, stupid? There are no such things... as heroes._'And then, he remembered Inari crying for his father. Something else Inari had said took on a whole new meaning to him. '_There's no way you can defeat a demon like Gatoh!_'

Naruto got up from his seat and moved towards the door. Hinata was startled, and found the ability to speak again. "N-Naruto, where are you going?"

Naruto smirked. "I'm going to prove to Inari... that heroes do exist!"

--

When Hinata came out of the room shared by the shinobi, Tazuna noticed that Naruto- who had been nowhere else in the house- was not in there, either. "Naruto didn't come home last night, either?"

Kakashi, who was sitting just inside that room, nodded. "He's been training non-stop ever since he heard your story."

Sasuke snorted. "He's very simple like that. Intelligent, but lacks common sense. He might've used up too much chakra and died by now."

While Hinata started shivering in fear at the possibility, Tsunami put her breakfast on the table. " I hope he's alright. A child out in the woods all night by himself."

Kakashi's eye closed in that distinctive manner that indicated he was smiling. "I wouldn't worry. Naruto may not seem like it sometimes, but he's a shinobi just like we are. Plus, he has more chakra than anyone else in the whole village."

Sasuke took a sip from his drink. "I don't know... it still wouldn't surprise me."

Hinata seemed interested by what Kakashi had just said. "More chakra than everyone in the whole village? How come? Is it because of..."

Kakashi shook his head. "No. All of that chakra is perfectly natural... it's not surprising, considering his pedigree..."

Sasuke's interest was perked., as well "His pedigree? And what do you mean by that?"

Kakashi coughed into his hand. "S-sorry, must've been a slip of the tongue..."

Sasuke sighed, disappointed that he wasn't going to find out anything today. "_Sure_ it was..."

--

Haku looked out the window of Gatoh's base. "What a beautiful morning... great for picking herbs." He undid the cloth on the back of his head, letting his long, feminine hair fall into position. A few minutes later, and he was no longer in his shinobi garb, but a most feminine summer kimono, with a swirl design, with the black band around his neck that he had since he was a child now revealed. Certainly, the only thing that indicated that he was a boy... was hidden under his robe.

A little while later, as he picked herbs in the forest and placed them in his basket, a bird landed on his shoulder, and then flew off a moment later. Haku watched the bird fly, and was surprised to see where it landed- on the chest of Kakashi's genin, the one who claimed he would become Hokage someday. Haku walked over, got on his kness, and stretched his arm out towards Naruto. The birds flew from the scene as he grabbed Naruto's shoulder and shook him awake. "Wake up... you'll catch a cold sleeping out here."

Naruto got up rather quickly. "Huh? What? Who're you?"

Haku smiled, deciding to be honest. "My name's Haku. And you?"

Naruto smiled, glad to be able to spend some time with a girl this pretty. "My name's Uzumaki Naruto! What are you doing out here?"

Haku giggled. "I could ask you the same thing. I'm out here collecting some plants for a friend."

Naruto eyed the basket Haku was holding. "Hey, those are medicinal herbs. Is your friend sick?"

Haku nodded, surprised that Naruto would know such a thing. "Yes... he got pretty injured in a fight the other day, and he needs these to help recover faster."

Naruto smiled wearily. "You mind if I help you? I've had to collect these before, and I need to move around a bit to wake up."

Haku genuinely smiled, noting the irony in the situation. "Thanks a lot."

As Naruto began picking the herbs, he kept talking to Haku. "You're out here pretty early, though."

Haku smiled, and decided to turn the question around. "So are you. What were you doing out here?"

Naruto grinned. "I was training!"

Haku noted the various chips in the wood of the trees, the occasional broken branch, and general disorder the scene was in. "Oh, that hitai-ate... you're a ninja, then?"

Naruto nodded with entusiasm. "Yep!"

Haku picked another herb. "So, why are you training?"

Naruto placed the herbs he had picked so far into the basket. "Well, to get stronger I guess."

Haku giggled again. "Well, yes, I suppose there's that... but why do you want to get stronger?"

Naruto gave a gentle smile to himself as he picked more herbs. "I... want to be the strongest ninja my village... the world, has ever seen."

Haku tilted his head. "Is that for youself? Or for someone else?"

Naruto paused for a moment before answering. "It's... kind of both. I want to become Hokage, to prove my strength... and as an extension of that, I want to protect everyone, even the people who don't like me, to show them that I'm not what they think I am..."

Haku smiled again. "Don't you have someone precious to you, that you'd protect even if you didn't want to be Hokage?" He then frowned to himself, remembering his own childhood. He had been nothing but a beggar child, who had even stolen a dog's collar to help keep himself warm, which he was wearing right now. And then... Zabuza had came. He looked directly at Naruto, who seemed startled by the statement. "When a person has something important to protect... that's when they can become truly strong."

Naruto smiled, remembering two things, the first being Kakashi's line- 'Don't worry. I'll protect you with my life. I don't... let my comrades die.' The second was what Kaiza had once told Inari about protecting what was important with your two arms. It was actually something that Sarutobi had taught him before, as well. "Yeah... that's a lesson that I know pretty well."

Haku got up and dusted himself off. "Then, you will become strong. Let's meet again somewhere." Naruto nodded, and as Haku walked away, he ran a hand through his hair. "By the way... I'm a boy."

When Sasuke and Hinata found Naruto a little bit later, after they had eaten breakfast and went to go train, he was unconscious once more.

**Kasek:** Alright, next chapter is the battle on the bridge! Alright! But, before that... I read through this fic again, and noticed so many dang typos, and even outright errors, it's not funny. Not to me. I'm gonna fix them all before doing anything else.


	12. Chapter 12

**Kasek:** Read, review, point out errors because I'm too lazy to get a beta-reader. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Naruto or One Piece**

**Chapter 12: The Results of Apprehension and Preparation**

"196... 197... 198..."

Tazuna interrupted Kakashi's count of his one-fingered push-ups. "I've been meaning to ask you this, but... how come you're still here? I lied about the money."

Kakashi's eye half-closed in though. "To abandon your duty is not courageous. Below the courageous, there is nothing. Those are the words of the previous Hokage." He made his one-hundred ninety-ninth push-up. "That is the way of the shinobi. We do not move because of money alone." He grunted, and got to push-up number two hundred. "Okay, you guys can get off now." Tazuna and Tsunami nodded, and got off of Kakashi's back. Kakashi looked at his hand and made a fist. "Two hundred one-fingered push-ups with two people on my back... I'm almost back to normal."

--

Zabuza held an apple in his hand, and a moment later, it burst under the pressure of his grip. He flicked the resulting apple juice off of his arm. Haku smiled at the display. "Looks like you're almost recovered."

Zabuza nodded. "Yeah... we should get moving soon, Haku."

Before Haku could reply in an affirmative, Gatou and his bodyguards walked in the door. "Well, don't you look like a man on a mission, eh, Zabuza?"

Zabuza growled. "We'll be leaving tomorrow. You'll be satisfied with the results."

Gatou smirked. "Oh, I will be, I will be..."

After they left, Zabuza growled, wishing he had just Gatou's head, instead. "That man... he's like a mouse in the woodwork, always popping up at the wrong times..."

Haku nodded. "Yes... I wonder if he plans to show up tomorrow..."

Zabuza sighed, causing his bandages to flutter. "I wouldn't doubt it for a second. He'll probably wait till I'm almost done and demand to kill Tazuna himself..."

--

Kakashi looked up from his meal as Sasuke and Hinata carried Naruto inside the house. Kakashi sighed. "You overdid it again, didn't you, Naruto?"

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, I decided to stop having my clones go for a battle-royal and had them all attack me at once."

Sasuke grunted as he placed Naruto in his chair. "Lucky us, our training isn't as intensive physically."

Hinata sat down in the chair next to Naruto, and gladly took a sip from her drink. "It's probably not enough to make a difference in battle, but..."

Kakashi sighed. "Well, at least that muscle strengthening thing I taught you will help, and I'm sure the elemental training can help with distractions until you guys can learn real jutsu."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, that muscle strengthening thing sure does help! I mean, putting chakra into your legs to make you faster? I never thought of that!"

Kakashi shook his head. "Naruto... I can't tell if you have schizophrenia or not, because half of the time you're a genius, and the other half you're an absolute idiot. That kind of thing is basic for a shinobi."

Tazuna grinned, as well. "At any rate, it's great to see you guys work so hard. I've been working super-hard on the bridge, too. It's almost done."

Tsunami glared at them. "Well, stop overdoing it! You guys need to conserve your energy!"

Inari glared at Naruto as he acted so carefree. Memories of Kaiza ran through his mind, causing him to tear up. '_You must protect what's precious with these two arms..._' '_Don't cry... Inari._' The tears started flowing, and Naruto, who was sitting directly across from the boy, took notice first. "Huh? What's wrong?"

Inari seemed to have trouble speaking. "Why... why..." After a moment, he slammed his hands on the table and stood up. "Why do you guys bother to try so hard?! No matter how hard you try, you'll never be a match for Gatou's men! No matter what claims you make, no matter how hard you work, when facing the strong, the weak only end up getting killed!!"

Everyone but Naruto was stunned into silence. Naruto took a bite out of his food. "Whatever. I'm nothing like you."

Inari's tears intensified. "I'd hate to be like you!! You don't know anything about his country, and yet you're being so nosy!! What do you know about me? I'm different from you! You're always acting like a clown, and goofing around! You don't know how hard life can be!!"

Something snapped inside of Naruto. "You don't get it... do you, kid? You think that it's ok to sit around and cry all day, like the star of some tragedy?" Naruto glared full-force at Inari, who was stunned into silence by just Naruto's eyes- they had turned red, and the pupils had become slits. "If that's what you want... then you can just go and cry for eternity, you big crybaby!"

Hinata spoke, greatly worried. "Naruto, that's enough! Please, stop it, he's just a kid!"

Naruto's eyes turned on Hinata, and she, too, was paralyzed in fear by the change in his appearance. Naruto walked away, none daring to stop him. Inari, after recovering his sense, ran out the front door. Sasuke saw the sheer terror on Hinata's face, and shook her shoulder. "Hinata, are you alright?"

Hinata came out of her daze. She didn't dare tell Sasuke about Naruto's eyes... whatever they were, it was not a part of his Devil Fruit powers. She looked down at the ground, deciding not to say a word. Silently, Kakashi got up from his own chair and decided to follow Inari outside.

As Inari sat on the dock, sobbing, Kakashi came up from behind him. "You mind if I join you?" Inari shook his head, and Kakashi sat down next to him. "Naruto didn't mean as much harm as it may have sounded like. He doesn't use his head sometimes." This seemed of no comfort to Inari, who was still shivering from Naruto's glare. Kakashi sighed to himself. "Tazuna... told us about your dad. Like you, Naruto also grew up without a father. In fact, he didn't even have a mother, nor siblings. Sasuke and Hinata have been his only two friends, and he's only so close to the Sarutobi clan, the people who took him in and raised him. The truth is... everyone else in the village hates his guts, for something beyond his control."

Inari looked up at the jonin. "You mean... the reason they call him demon, right?"

Kakashi nodded. "Right. But... I've never once seen him cry, or complain. He's always trying his best to get people to see who he is at heart, not what they see in their minds. For that dream, he'd risk his life... he probably grew sick and tired of crying a long time ago. He knows what it means to be truly strong, just like your father did. In fact, Naruto may know how you feel better than anyone else."

Inari seemed surprised. "Wh-what?"

Kakashi nodded. "He always asks us how you're doing when he's not around. He doesn't seem to be able to not be concerned about you."

Inari looked down at the water, the moon's reflection intersecting with his own... and smiled.

--

Kakashi, Hinata, Sasuke, and Tazuna were all packed for the day. Kakashi turned to face Tsunami who was going to bid them farewell. "Take care of Naruto. I want him to take a break from training today. We're going to need him at peak strength for the upcoming battle."

--

Zabuza growled when he heard Gatou's voice come over the radio. "Is the ambush ready?" Zabuza didn't respond, but looked at Haku, who nodded. They both disappeared, leaving the boat empty, except for the sound of Gatou's voice. "Hey, Zabuza, are you there? Hey!!"

Gatou, sitting on his couch at his base, growled. "Looks like they're already starting." He looked up at his bodyguards. "Time to get moving."

--

Naruto woke up with a start. "Ah! I overslept!" He peeked into the front room, not seeing anyone there aside from Tsunami and Inari. "Hey, hey, where is everyone?"

Tsunami, who was sewing, paused for a moment. "Sensei said for you to take a break from training today..."

Naruto went back to his room and hurriedly got dressed in his standard shorts and vest. "Shoot, shoot, I knew they had gone without me! I've got to hurry, I can just feel that today's the big day!" He dashed through the house and out the door, leaving behind a shocked Tsunami and Inari. "I'm off!!" Inari could not help but look in the direction Naruto had went, thinking for a moment before resuming helping his mother with her sewing.

--

"Wh-what is this?!" Tazuna was shocked at the sight before him- all five of the remaining workers were on the ground, some blood on the ground nearby. One of them was still conscious, and Tazuna rushed to his side. "What happened?! Please, tell me!"

The man coughed, some blood in his mouth. "A... monster..."

Tazuna growled as the man fell unconscious. "A monster... that leaves four suspects, that's for sure."

Kakashi was surprised. "Wait, four? I thought Zabuza was the only monster around here."

Tazuna gulped. "Well... there was... something else... that I forgot to mention..."

--

"Inari, help me with the dishes!" "Give me a minute, I'm in the bathroom!" The two men standing in front of Tazuna's door smirked. This would be _too_ easy.

--

Mist began to envelop the bridge. Everyone immediately stood back-to-back. Kakashi growled. "Here they come!" _Looks like he's still alive after all..._

Hinata narrowed her eyes. "This is Kirigakure no jutsu, right?"

Zabuza's voice came from somewhere in the mist. "Long time no see, Kakashi..." Sasuke's body began trembling. "Oh, I see that you're still with those brats... the boy's shaking, poor thing..." Immediately, ten clones of Zabuza appeared all around them, and even between them.

Sasuke smirked. "What I'm trembling from isn't fear... but excitement."

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask. "Do it, Sasuke."

An instant later, and all of the clones disintegrated into water, having been sliced by Sasuke with his two kunai- though it looked like all Sasuke did was shift poses. Sasuke smirked again. "It's going to take a lot more than that to take me down, let alone all of us."

Zabuza's voice came once again, though this time from one direction than from all around them. Everyone turned to face Zabuza and Haku, who were in the direction that they themselves had walked from to get here blocking their exit. "Looks like the brat's grown. He could be your rival, Haku."

Haku tilted his head, which was covered by his mask. "Maybe."

Kakashi narrowed his eye. "It looks like I was right on the mark. That masked kid... he's obviously Zabuza's comrade, if he's still here."

Sasuke growled, and stepped forward. "He should drop the act. I hate people like him..."

Kakashi held him back with one hand. "Let Hinata do this. Her eyes will allow her to fight him better- he is a Hunter-nin, after all."

Sasuke grunted, and let Hinata step up to the plate. Haku tilted his head again. "Taking down those clones... even though they only had a tenth of the strength of the original, it's still impressive. Let's see if this girl is any better."

Zabuza grunted. "We have the advantage. Go!"

Haku disappeared, and appeared in front of Hinata, a senbon at the ready, and swung at Hinata. Hinata grabbed Haku's wrist with her left hand, and then thrust her palm into Haku's chest, forcing him back. Haku grunted in pain, and slowly stood up. "I see... close combat is your forte. Then let's see how you deal with ranged attacks..."

--

The door shattered into many pieces, with Waraji's hand on his now sheathed sword- apparently he had sliced it into that many pieces himself. Zori stepped in the door, and smirked at Tsunami's face, who was completely stunned. "You're Tazuna's daughter, right? You're coming with us."

Inari heard his mom scream from inside the bathroom and rushed out into the main room, where Tsunami was on the floor, the table broken, and the two men were standing above her. "Mom!!"

Waraji smirked. "What do you want, kid?"

Tsunami panicked. "Inari! Don't come, run away!!"

Waraji looked to his partner. "Should we take the brat, too?"

Zori looked at Inari, causing many unpleasant memories to emerge in the boy's mind. "I don't know... we only need one hostage..."

Waraji began to draw his sword. "Then, should we kill him?"

Inari hid behind the wall, and Tsunami decided to resort to drastic measures. "Don't you touch him! If you do, I'll bite my tongue and kill myself! You want a hostage, right?!"

Inari started to cry at his mom's display of courage. Zori frowned. "Thank your mom, kid."

Waraji's frown was deeper. "Darn it... I wanted to cut something."

Zori glared at his taller partner. "You ALWAYS want to cut something. You cut _several_ things on the way here, and you're probably going to cut several _more_ things on the way back. Let's just tie her up and get going."

Inari broke down and cried as they left. _I'm so sorry Mom... I'm just a kid... I can't do anything against monsters like them.. I don't want to die..._

'_**You big crybaby!**_' Inari was startled from his tears. '_**You think that it's ok to sit around and cry all day, like the star of some tragedy?**_' '_He's probably... sick and tired of crying..._' '_**If that's what you want... then you can just go and cry for eternity, you big crybaby!**_' '_He knows what it means to be truly strong, just like your father did._' '_If you're a man, choose a life of no regrets... For something that is precious to you, no matter how tough, no matter how sad, you must try and try... and even if you lose your life, protect it with these two arms._

Inari wiped his tears. _They're all so incredible... so cool... so strong!_ He stood up, and clenched his fists. _I too... I will become strong, Dad!_

--

Waraji leered at Tsunami. "What pretty skin... I want to cut it."

Zori pushed her. "Walk faster, will you? Trust me, the faster we get done with this, the faster you get away from Waraji here." Waraji took offense to that, but before he could voice his indignation, Inari's voice came from behind them.

"WAIT!" All three turned around to see Inari, standing on the corner. Tsunami yelled at him. "Inari! Run away, now!"

Inari grit his teeth. _I can... do it!_ "GET AWAY FROM MY MOM!!" He dashed towards the two swordsmen, yelling to give himself strength.

Waraii put his hand on his sword. "Che, idiot..."

Tsunami screamed for her son to stop, but to no avail. Zori put his hand on his own sword. "Cut him." A moment later, and Inari was cut into three pieces... or so it seemed. Waraji and Zori were more than shocked to find that what they had cut... was nothing more than a log. Zori growled. "Kawarimi...?"

A voice came from behind them. "Sorry I'm late... but a hero usually shows up at the last second."

Inari looked up at his savior. "N-Naruto..."

Naruto grinned at the boy. "Great job Inari. Thanks to you, I was able to resuce your mom." Inari looked behind him- indeed, his mother was with them, and not with the samurai.

Waraji growled. "You little brat! We'll show you what happens when you mess with us!" They both began to charge at Naruto, and Naruto merely smirked. He threw some shuriken at them, which they blocked with their swords- which was just a distraction. They saw their shadows enlarge, and managed to turn around just in time to block the fists of the two clones that had appeared behind them- both of them in their hybrid forms. The force of the impact caused them to drop their blades, which fell into the ocean.

Waraji snarled. "That was my favorite sword, you brat! I'll show you... what happens when you make me angry..."

Zori sighed. "I hate it when he gets like this..."

Waraji grit his teeth, and all could see that he was growing larger. Not only that, but he was growing fur. His arms grew longer, and he slouched over a bit. His ears raised up a bit, and his mouth grew into a snout. A moment later, and the clones were sliced in half by the claws... of a grizzly bear/human hybrid. The beast turned on the real Naruto, a crazed look in his eye. "**I'll kill you... I'll tear you to shreds, and eat whatever's left! And when I'm done, those two are next!**"

As Inari and Tsunami huddled in fear, something inside of Naruto snapped. "You can threaten me all you want... but mess with them, and you'll see what I'm truly capable of!" Naruto changed forms, this time into his most muscular form. The beast charged at him, and Naruto ducked under him... and then threw him into the water. Naruto glared at Zori. "Next."

Zori looked at the now-human Waraji, who was beginning to sink. "Look, I'll surrender if you agree to fish him out, alright? My powers aren't nearly as fearsome as his, and this isn't the best place for a fight..."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And just what are your powers?"

Zori sighed, and a moment later... was a child-sized koala with human posture. Naruto couldn't help but laugh as Zori growled at him. "You gonna fish him out or not?"

--

Waraji growled at his partner, and would've said something if he wasn't gagged. They had been tied up, with only their heads exposed, and then put on a boat, which was tied to the dock with a rather long piece of rope. As a pittance, their swords had been fished out and placed with them. Naruto smiled. "Thanks for helping me out with that... I can't fall in the water, or I'd drown, same as them."

Tsunami smiled back. "We should be thanking you. We had no idea that the Devil Fruit had such a curse with it."

Naruto frowned. "Well, this certainly explains how Tazuna knew about the source of my powers... Tell me the truth. Gatou has powers too, doesn't he?"

Tsunami frowned. "Yes... or so he says. He had those two kill my husband to show off the Devil Fruit, but he never told us about the curse, and he never told us what kind of powers he holds."

Naruto frowned. "I see... this is my first encounter with someone else holding these powers, but what I do know is that there are three kinds... and I most certainly hope that it's not the kind that gives him power over the elements." Naruto yelled out to the boat. "I hope you guys know that you personally executed the father of this family! I'm sure they wouldn't think twice about cutting you loose!" All movement on the boat ceased- apparently they had been trying to wriggle out of the ropes.

Inari spoke up. "How... did you know that they'd be here?"

Naruto grinned. "There was this boar that was all cut up in the forest, and all the trees around it were cut, too. I noticed that all the cuts made a path that led straight back here, so I followed as fast as I could. But... what I really want to talk about... is an apology. I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have said those things..." Naruto patted Inari on the head. "You're strong. You're certainly no crybaby."

Inari stared in surprise at Naruto, and was surprised when he felt tears running down his cheeks. "Sh-shoot... I told myself... that I was never going to cry again... now I'm a crybaby again..."

Naruto chuckled. "What are you talking about? It's okay to cry... when you're happy!"

Inari was shocked for a moment, and then began crying again. Naruto smiled, and turned bac to face the two samurai. "Well... if they attacked here... then that means that they're probably attacking at the bridge right now, too. I can count on you to keep these guys on their leash, right?" Inari nodded. Naruto grinned. "Man, it sure is tough... to be a hero."

Inari's faint smile widened into a grin of his own. "It... sure is!"

--

Kakashi glanced at Sasuke. "Step in front of Tazuna and don't leave my side. Let Hinata handle this." Sasuke grunted. At least he had gotten to kill the clones...

Haku went through a series of one-handed seals, getting Kakashi's attention for sure. _One handed? I've never heard of such a thing!_ Haku stomped down on the ground when he finished. "Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suisho!"

The water all around Hinata rose up and formed into several needles. As the needles began flying towards her, she took a combat stance. They all flew towards her, and in an instant, there was a giant explosion of water. Haku was surprised, however, not to find a body in the water. _Where did she-_ "I see... long-range combat is your forte. Then let's see how you deal with close combat." Haku turned around, and saw Hinata pulling her right hand back for another palm thrust. Haku sidestepped it, only to see that it was a feint for a kick with her left leg. Haku ducked under the kick, and Hinata spun all the way around, using the force from the kick to do a left-handed palm thrust, sending Haku flying all the way back to Zabuza.

Zabuza was surprised. _Haku... lost in speed?!_

Hinata smiled, though breathing a little heavily. "Looks like... I'm the faster."

Haku managed to land on his feet, and analyzed what had just happened. How did she escape? She hadn't jumped over the needles... that's when he noticed her eyes. "You... you're a Hyuuga." Hinata nodded. "So, then... you were able to see a path through the needles, clear as day... that's how you escaped."

Hinata nodded again. "I could've escaped through the air, but it would take too much time to get back to the ground and attack you again, so I dodged the needles as I ran through them."

Haku nodded. "To have both the Sharingan and the Byakugan on one team... was not expected."

Kakashi smirked under his mask. "I won't let you underestimate my team ust because they're what you call brats, Zabuza. Hinata is the heiress to the Hyuuga clan... Sasuke was the top of his class... and then there's Naruto... the so-called Kitsune of the Hidden Leaf... the boy with more connections to Konoha's past than I care to count, but the one I should let you know of is... Hokage's apprentice."

Zabuza began chuckling. "Oh, is that so? Hehe, I'm quaking in my boots. Haku, it seems we're falling behind... we don't want that now, do we?"

Haku shook his head. "No, we don't..." Chakra began to pour out of Haku's body, causing Hinata's eyes to widen in fear. _His chakra's spilling everywhere... and the air... it's so cold... _The water all around them began rising up, and freezing at the same time. Soon enough, Hinata was surrounded by twenty-one frozen mirrors in every direction except down. "Hijutsu: Makyo Hyo Sho!"

Kakashi was nearly frozen himself just by the sight of the mirrors. _What IS this jutsu?! _Haku stepped _into_ one of the mirrors, causing an image of him to appear in every single mirror. Kakashi swore, and tried to dash to Hinata's rescue, but Zabuza got in his way. "I don't think so. _Your_ opponent... is _me_. Against that jutsu... she's finished, Hyuuga or not."

Hinata looked around her frantically, trying to find the real Haku. Haku's voice emanated from all around her. "Shall I begin? I'll show you... my true speed." Hinata barely had any warning before Haku appeared from one of the mirrors... and her clothes were torn to shreds as she tried to dodge each of his slashes that he made as he jumped from mirror to mirror. To those with regular eyes, all the slashes were nearly simultaneous- that's how fast Haku was moving.

Kakashi, who did not have his Sharingan activated, only saw Hinata being slashed multiple times. "Hinata!!"

Zabuza chuckled. "If you get by me, I'll kill those two behind you."

Kakashi glanced at Sasuke. "Sorry, Sasuke, it's not that I don't trust your ability, but it seems I can't go help Hinata right now..."

Sasuke grunted, and turned to Tazuna. "Sorry, but I'm going to have to leave you or a moment." Tazuna nodded in understanding. He wouldn't want to stand around, either, if his friend was in trouble. Sasuke got closer to get within range, and then tossed a kunai at Hinata- she did not normally carry one for herself. However, Haku leaned out of one of the mirrors, and grabbed the kunai as it came. While Sasuke swore, a shuriken came from the side and whacked Haku's mask, causing him to fall out of the mirror.

Haku looked towards where the shuriken had come from, only to see a smoke bomb go off before he could see the figure using it. Slowly, a figure emerged from the smoke- Naruto. He smirked as he saw Haku on the ground. "Uzumaki Naruto... has arrived! Just in time to save everyone, too!"

**Kasek: **I'm gonna stop right here, because if I don't, this WILL go on until the end of the Battle of the Great Naruto Bridge.

In other news, there's no way I'm going to throw away Waraji and Zori now that I've given them the powers of the Akuma no Mi. Especially since Zori's a koala, I mean, come on! How can you expect me to kill him off just like that? However, they are going to disappear for a while. You probably won't see them until the sequel to this story (That's right, a sequel. It will take place after the Rescue Sasuke arc).


	13. Chapter 13

**Kasek: **Hey, look! I'm actually going to be more original from here on out! Well... more is the key word. Not totally, though, not until later. Also, 25,000 hits! I know it doesn't seem like much compared to more popular authors, but it's a milestone for me.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own One Piece**

**Chapter 13: Bridge of Hopes, Dreams, and Despair**

Everyone's reaction was different- Sasuke was somewhat glad Naruto had shown up Zabuza was irritated, Haku was just plain surprised, and Kakashi was absolutely dumbfounded at how Naruto could mix genius and stupidity in such a manner.

Haku remembered his conversation with Naruto- how Naruto said he wanted to get stronger. Zabuza merely remembered how annoying the brat could be to fight, so he tried to take him out as quickly as possible by throwing shuriken at him. Naruto was more than ready to block them himself, but he was surprised when they were intercepted in mid-air by Haku's senbon.

Zabuza was just as surprised as everyone else. "Haku... what is the meaning of this..."

Haku looked towards his master. "Zabuza... please, let me fight them my way. I want to see... how strong they've gotten."

Zabuza turned back to Kakashi slowly. "Feh... you're as soft as ever..."

Hinata was shocked when she heard that statement. She looked down at herself- not one of Haku's attacks had been directed at a vital spot. But what was the point? Why would he...

She was surprised when Naruto appeared right next to her. "Hey! Hinata! You alright? Need some help?"

Sasuke growled when he saw what Naruto had just done. "Naruto, you idiot! You should've stayed outside the mirrors!" Sasuke, deciding to take things into his own hands, put together his hands into a sequence of seals most familiar to him. "If those things are ice, then... Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!"

He took a deep breath, and blasted one of the mirrors with a great stream of fire from his mouth. Naruto got in front of Hinata as some of the flames swept past the mirror. "Sasuke! Did you forget we were in here?!"

Haku frowned underneath his mask. "This ice was created through a jutsu... it will take a much stronger flame to melt it."

Sasuke swore, but before he could try anything else, he felt a presence right behind him. "Hey, kid... you should get back to the bridge builder." On pure reflex, Sasuke swung his arm into the man's chest, making sure to amplify the pain with some electricity. He wasn't too surprised when it turned out to be a clone of Zabuza.

Zabuza raised a nonexistent eyebrow as he saw the electricity spark from Sasuke's fist as the clone turned into a puddle. "Electricity? So, these kids know how to manipulate their chakra to such an extent even at this age... most impressive, Kakashi. Most don't learn how to do such things until they're Chunin."

Kakashi shrugged. "Well, they are the first students I've ever had the pleasure of teaching... so I'm going to make sure that they become the best. And they can't be the best if they can't beat you."

Naruto growled as he watched Haku step into one of the mirrors. _I wonder what the trick to this is... _He saw Hinata turn around before he heard anything- and what he did hear was Haku's voice, from behind him. "I'm not there anymore, you know."

In an instant, Naruto's clothes were torn to shreds, many of the slashes having drawn blood. As Naruto fell to one knee, many thoughts ran through Hinata's head, each one taking more and more out of her self-confidence. _I... wasn't able to warn him... I was useless... just like I was in the last two fights... I wasn't able to do anything at all then, and I'm not able to do anything but dodge now... All of that training... useless._

Naruto growled. "So many attacks.. clones?! If that's the case..." Hinata realized that there might be something that she could do- but before she could warn him, Naruto had already made enough clones to attack all of the mirrors, all of them in his hybrid form. As they approached the mirrors, though, each and every one of them began dispersing, Hinata flinching as each one was slashed.

Naruto growled in frustration as Haku reappeared in the mirrors, calm-looking as ever. "You... cannot follow me with your eyes."

Hinata tugged on Naruto's arm. "He's right... I can barely see him myself. There's only one, and he's moving far too fast for you to keep up..."

Haku nodded. "This jutsu... uses the mirror's reflection to transport me. For me... it is not that I am too fast, but you are too slow."

Kakashi's eye widened when he heard that. "I knew it. For someone his age to master such a jutsu... Kekkei Genkai."

Sasuke looked shocked. "You mean..."

Kakashi nodded. "It's just like with the Sharingan and the Byakugan. A technique passed down through a blood lineage... only those who possess the genes for it can use it. There is no copying, no defeating such a jutsu, not even for me."

Naruto, having heard that, quickly stood up. "So what?! It seems... that I'm the only one on our team without such a thing... but so what?! I have a dream... and until that dream is fulfilled, I will _not_ die!"

Haku tilted his head forward a bit at the word 'dream'. He remembered what Naruto had said once before- that he wanted to become Hokage, to prove his strength to the world, to prove that he was not what everyone thought he was.

His mind went even further back in time to the day he had met Zabuza, all those years ago. _Hehehe... what an unfortunate child. A brat like you, who is not wanted by anyone... you will die, knowing neither freedom nor the realization of your dreams._ The Haku of then smiled at those words. _You... have the same eyes as me..._

Haku focused on the now. "Dreams... becoming a true shinobi is difficult. If possible, I don't want to kill you. But neither do I wish to die- if you continue to fight... I will take a blade to this kind heart, and I will kill you. This bridge is the place we fight... to connect to our dreams. Me, for my dream, and you, for your dreams. My dream... is to protect someone who is precious to me. To work for him, to fight for him, to make his dreams come true. That is my dream. For that, I will become a shinobi. For that, I will kill you."

Sasuke growled when he heard that speech. "He can spout whatever nonsense he wants to... there's no way he will-"

Kakashi interrupted. "You forget something, Sasuke... even if they were to miraculously defeat that jutsu, they cannot beat that boy."

Zabuza chuckled. "That was not nonsense. Those two brats... they can't destroy their hearts. They've never killed before. That boy has. He knows what it's like to be a shinobi... to kill. That's not something they teach at your village, is it, Kakashi?"

Kakashi rose his left hand to his hitai-ate. "If that's the case... then I'll have to end this quickly... so that they can learn those things."

Zabuza chuckled once more. "Sharingan? Is that all you can do?" In an instant, Zabuza charged at Kakashi, a kunai in his right hand. Another instant later, and the kunai stabbed Kakashi's right hand, which had been raised to prevent his left hand- and more importantly, his Sharingan- from being pierced.

Kakashi smirked under his mask. "You ask if it's all I can do, even though you're afraid of this one thing..."

Zabuza glared at him, a sneer underneath his own mask. "A shinobi's supreme techniques... should not be shown to the opponent over and over again."

Kakashi's smirk didn't fade. "You ought to feel honored, then. You're the first enemy I've shown it to twice... and there won't be a third."

Zabuza's lips remained in a sneer. "Even if you beat me, you won't beat Haku." Sasuke was surprised at those words. _That Haku... is stronger than Kakashi-sensei?_ "I've taught that boy everything he knows ever since he was a child. He faces even the strongest opponent without a heart, and without a fear of death, and he has succeeded every time. He surpassed me long ago, even in jutsu... the terrifying ability of the Kekkei Genkai. He is a very high quality tool... unlike those things you call students that you have."

As he withdrew his kunai from Kakashi's hand, Kakashi lifted his hitai-ate, revealing his Sharingan. "I hate it when people brag... put your money where your mouth is."

Zabuza smirked. "Wait a second. I have one more thing to brag about. That Sharingan... is useless here. I've already seen through how it works. You see, last time, I had Haku observing the fight. When he sees a jutsu, he can normally come up with a way to defeat it. Bright kid."

Kakashi's eyes widened when the mist got much, much thicker, and the image of Zabuza in front of him started fading, eventually disappearing.

--

Naruto growled as he stood up once more. "Shoot, shoot, shoot..."

Hinata put her hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, please, don't push yourself. He's starting to slow down... if you protect your vital signs, maybe we can last long enough for us to counter-attack."

Naruto nodded, and prepared for more pain as Haku readied his needles again.

--

Kakashi turned to where he had last seen Sasuke. "Sasuke! Get back to Tazuna! Protect him at all costs!"

Sasuke nodded- though he doubted Kakashi could see it- and immediately appeared by Tazuna's side. "Tazuna- don't leave my side."

Tazuna nodded. "Okay, but... this mist is super thick. You can't see a thing."

Kakashi nodded to himself- he was in complete agreement. Even his Sharingan couldn't see through the mist... so how did Zabuza plan on attacking them? His thoughts were interrupted when he saw several shuriken appear right in front of him. He quickly deflected them with a kunai with the aid of his Sharingan. "I'm surprised you dodged those... Sharingan Kakashi." Kakashi turned around, and was shocked at what he saw- Zabuza had his eyes closed. "The next time you see me... will be your last. You rely too much on your vision."

As Zabuza disappeared once more, his voice began emanating from all around Kakashi. "You act like you know everything... but you _don't_. You pretend that you can read minds, and see the future... but you _can't_. The Sharingan merely tricks your opponents into thinking that you can. It involves hypnotism and attention to detail. By combining those things, you can copy the body, make it appear you're copying the mind... and as a result, copy the jutsu. That is what makes it seem you can see the future.

"You copy my movements, and shake my mind. Then, once my mind is shaken, you copy what I say. Once I my mind is at a loss, you implant in my mind what I should do next, and then do it before I do. A very clever trick, but a trick nonetheless. So, to beat this trick of yours..."

Kakashi deflected another shuriken that was aimed at his eye. _My reflexes are slowed by this mist... _"...I made the mist too thick to see through. And then, I close my eyes, to remove any chance of being hypnotized."

Kakashi growled as he got back into his ready stance. "But then you can't see a thing, either. Why?"

Zabuza's chuckle resounded ominously across the bridge. "You forget... I'm a genius at silent killing. I can track an enemy by just their sound."

Kakashi began to sweat. _Shoot... if I don't beat him quickly, then I can't help Naruto and Hinata. It's __been a long time since I've fought like this... Relax, Kakashi. Think- what would he target?_ He swore under his breath when he realized the answer- Tazuna.

Sasuke and Tazuna turned when they heard footsteps behind them- and were just in time to see Zabuza swing his sword down, slicing Kakashi across the chest.

--

Hinata panted as she dodged yet another of Haku's attacks, and again tried to help Naruto up after he got hit once again. "Are you alright, Naruto?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, just worry about yourself, alright?"

Hinata flinched. "I'm sorry... I'm so useless... Naruto..."

Naruto looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Useless? You're not useless, Hinata."

Haku watched the scene. _That girl just won't get hit... but that boy, on the other hand... he appears to be her precious person. You can see it in her eyes, even with her Byakugan... then I guess I'll have to do __that__, then._

Haku took a battle stance, showing the many needles he was holding. "Yes, she is... she is unable to protect her precious person. That makes her... useless." He charged straight at them, and Hinata realized exactly what was going on- he was going straight for the kill, straight for Naruto.

All Naruto felt was that he had been pushed down, and all that he heard was the sound of flesh being pierced.

--

Kakashi grimaced as he held a hand to his wound. There was a large tear in his armor, through which blood was dripping. Zabuza smirked at the sight. "Your reflexes are slowing... Kakashi. Your desire to save them must've made the mist in your mind thicker than the one I've made in reality. Stay alive for a bit longer, I want to enjoy this. And don't worry about those brats- Haku's probably already killed them. Actually, since I'm about to send you to follow them... you can apologize to them yourself."

Sasuke growled as he moved between Kakashi and Tazuna. "They're not dead. Naruto probably wouldn't die even if you poked more holes in him than a dartboard, and Hinata... Naruto wouldn't let her die."

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Naruto is very determined, and Hinata's a Hyuuga. It'd be impossible for them to die so soon."

Zabuza would've spit on the ground if his mask didn't prohibit such a thing. "Same goes for Haku- no one's ever defeated that jutsu before."

As Zabuza disappeared, Kakashi jumped into the mist, and removed a scroll from one of his chest pouches. "Zabuza... you think I've survived only because I have this Sharingan. I am a former member of the ANBU... not only that, but I was a Jonin before I got this Sharingan. I'll show you... my own original jutsu."

--

As Naruto got back up, he saw two things- Haku lying on the ground not too far away, and Hinata standing in front of him. Hinata smiled to herself. "Naruto... was I... useful?"

Naruto grinned. "Of course you were, you just-" His eyes widened as he took in the reality of the situation- Hinata had several needles going all the way through her neck, as well as sticking out of various points on her limbs. She coughed, and the bridge was stained with the falling blood.

She smiled when she heard him say that. "Thank you... for saying that... Naruto..." She fell backwards, and Naruto caught her, making sure she didn't hit her head on the ground. She reached a hand up, and placed it on Naruto's cheek. "I'm glad... that my last moments are with you... Naruto... I..." Her hand slowly slid down his cheek, until it fell to the ground limply, bringing a tear along with it

"Hi-Hinata? Hey, Hinata, wake up..."

Haku shook his head as he stood up. "She... without flinching, she took the attack that was meant for you, and landed a blow on me. To protect her precious person, knowing that it was a trap... she deserves respect, as a shinobi, and as a woman."

Naruto's tears began slowly trickling down his cheeks as he jostled Hinata. "Hinata, come on, don't play around like this... come on, wake up... please..."

Haku slowly merged with a mirror. "Is this the first time that you've seen a friend die?"

Naruto shook his head, his tears falling on Hinata's face. "She's not dead... you're not dead, Hinata..."

Haku sighed, bringing out a needle. "Accept it. This is the reality of being a shinobi. This is how we live our lives."

"No! I won't accept it... she can't be dead... she can't be..."

Haku threw a needle that went between Naruto and Hinata, making him realize the reality of the situation. When Naruto turned to face Haku, he was actually surprised to see a look of dead seriousness in Naruto's eyes. "If you insist that she's dead... then I'll kill you with all of the rage of one who lost someone precious to them..."

Haku nodded. "If you can, then try it. After all, she _is_ dead."

Naruto tensed for a moment, and looked down at the ground. "I... see."

There was a moment of silence on the bridge. And then, in an instant, the whole of the inside of the mirrors was turned red by the sheer amount of chakra being poured forth from Naruto's body. Haku felt the need to shield himself with his arms, even inside the mirror. _This chakra... so evil! What's going on?!_ The needles in Naruto's back sprung out of the wounds they had caused, and Haku watched in horror as the scratches on Naruto's hands disappeared, leaving the skin unmarred. _How can they be healing?! Who is this boy?! _Naruto glared at Haku full-force, and Haku had the breath knocked out of him at the sheer amount of killing intent coming from Naruto when he made eye contact with the now red eyes and their slitted pupils. With his lengthened teeth and fingernails, he now looked completely intent. _Such killer intent... I did not know such a feat was capable by one being..._

--

Both Kakashi and Zabuza were stunned by the force of the chakra that Naruto was emanating. Kakashi looked about frantically. "Is that... Zabuza?" _No! This terrible chakra... Naruto! It's a lot stronger than last time, too! The seal hasn't been broken, but it's weakening with time... If I hurry..._

Kakashi unfurled the scroll, and swiped his blood all the way down the scroll with his thumb. "Zabuza... obviously, neither of us has time to waste here..." Kakashi twirled the scroll around himself as a cheerleader would, causing it to roll back up. "I know it's not your style, but I'm ending the fun here."

Zabuza snapped out of his thoughts- he, too, had been wondering about the intense chakra. "Well, then, Kakashi... sounds interesting. Show me what you've got!"

--

Naruto's transformation was not yet complete- after another moment, he began growing dark orange fur, and when he put his hands on the ground so that he had all fours on the ground, he sprouted not one, but two tails, which began swaying behind him ominously. Finally, his head changed shape into that of a most demonic-looking fox- Naruto didn't know it, but he had transformed into a miniature of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, minus seven tails.

Haku threw several senbon at the monstrosity Naruto had become as he moved from mirror to mirror, but with with just a bark- which may have well have been a mighty roar- the senbon were deflected. _Were they deflected with the sound waves... or with chakra?_

Haku, now in the top most mirror, decided to go for the kill as soon as possible, and charged straight at Naruto, who seemingly was unaware of his presence. However, Naruto sidestepped the attack, and grabbed Haku's arm with his left arm, with the fingers that this form still retained. Haku flinched when the claws dug into his arm, but what was more painful was Naruto's mere presence- his very chakra seemed to be attacking Haku, as Haku could hear his mask beginning to crack under the pressure.

Naruto then grabbed Haku's neck with his right hand, and smashed Haku through one of his mirrors, shattering it into an uncountable number of pieces as they passed through it. They continued to the outside of the dome, where Naruto smashed Haku into the ground, cracking Haku's mask even further due to the pressure. Haku resigned himself to his fate as the abomination sat on top of him, slowly choking him to death. _Zabuza... I cannot defeat this boy..._

However, in that instant, the pieces of Haku's mask slid off of his face, and everything changed. Naruto's eyes widened, and his grip on Haku's neck slackened. Slowly, his body began to shrink, and his fur retracted, slowly assuming his original, human form. Once he was fully human, tears began flowing from his eyes again. "Why... why did it have to be you, of all people, under that mask..."

Haku frowned at Naruto's behavior. "I killed her! Can you not give me the same in return?" Naruto's eyes turned red once more, and Haku could feel his claws ready to dig into his neck. As Naruto's tears fell, Haku felt like crying himself. "Letting me live would be a far worse punishment than killing me... please, grant me this mercy. The pain of not having a dream... not being needed by a single person... the pain of simply living..."

Naruto tightened the fist not around Haku's neck. "That guy... Zabuza... you mean to tell me he's the only one precious to you? That by losing to me, you think you're worthless to him now?"

Haku nodded. "A broken tool... is not needed anymore. As for Zabuza being my only precious person... there were two more. My parents. But they died long ago. They were very kind people, who lived in a snowy village in the Land of Water. One day... something happened. Because of my blood... my mother was killed."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Your... blood?"

Haku attempted a nod. "Yes... those with blood such as mine are often used in times of war. Over time, we came to be feared... hated. I'm sure that that girl experienced much hardship because of her blood."

Naruto's mind raced all the way back to when he had first met Hinata- she had been kidnapped because she was a Hyuuga. "My own father had done it... and before I knew what had happened... my father was dead, as well. And I came to realize a most painful truth- I was unwanted in the world."

Naruto remembered his own past- just recently, he realized that Sasuke and Hinata were probably the only people who truly acknowledged Naruto's existence- he had been feared and hated by all for the majority of his life, the only exceptions aside from his friends being the Sandaime, some Jonin, a few Hyuuga, and Jiraiya. Even then... he did not know how much of it was an act. A most painful truth indeed.

If someone were to come to you in that time, and were to acknowledge you... wouldn't you treat them as precious?" Naruto conceded that Haku was right- he would do the same, just as he did with Hinata. "Zabuza took me in, knowing that I had such blood... the blood that everyone hated... the blood that he desired." Haku's tears began mixing with Naruto's own. "I was... so happy. But now... I am but a broken tool. Naruto... please, kill me. I am useless to Zabuza now."

--

Kakashi placed the scroll between his fingers, performed four seals- Tiger, Snake, Dragon, and Dog- and placed his hands on the ground. _Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu! _Immediately, all the letters that were within the scroll seemed to pour out from the scroll and into the ground, leaving holes where they had been.

Zabuza scoffed as he heard Kakashi's movements. "Whatever you do is useless. You don't know where I am, and I know exactly where you are." Zabuza's confidence was shaken, however, when he heard the ground rumble. Daring to open his eyes, he was surprised when the ground erupted. He quickly tried to jump away, but it was too late- his legs were held in place by the jaws of two dogs. Zabuza looked around in surprise as he was assaulted by six more the the beasts, each varying in size- one was a pug, and another was a bull-dog. In mere seconds, the dogs had immobilized him. Two were biting each of his legs, another was biting his right arm, yet another was holding his sword, and the bull dog had bitten his left shoulder, and had its paws on both of his arms. To top it all off, the pug had latched on to his hitai-ate, placing stress on his neck as he tried to stay standing up.

Kakashi smirked under his mask when the mist began to clear. "If your eyes and ears fail you... use your nose. You might've seen this coming if you didn't have your eyes shut, you know. I let my blood spill twice, just so that the smell of my blood would stay on your weapons. These are my cute little ninken- their sense of smell surpasses all other dogs, and comes close to mine."

Zabuza's eyes widened. "Comes close to yours...? You knew where I was all along?!"

Kakashi smirked under his mask. "Oops. Did I let that slip? Anyways... the mist is beginning to clear." Kakashi put his hand near his Sharingan. "It seems... your future... is death."

Zabuza growled. "My future... is death? Stop fooling around, Hatake, I'm sick of it."

Kakashi sighed as he observed his quarry. "You're the one fooling around. There's nothing you can do, and you know it. Your death is certain." He made eye contact with Zabuza. "You went too far Zabuza. You wanted too much. Your story is known even in _my_ village. You attempted a coup d'etat, and that failed. You tried to assassinate the Mizukage, and that failed. You probably needed money and protection from Gatou, right?"

Kakashi gripped his right wrist with his left hand, and there was a crackle of electricity. A moment later, his hand was glowing with electricity, streams of which arced to the ground like mini-lightning bolts. Zabuza was shocked at the sight; raw elemental manipulation to that extreme was unheard of- it wasted too much chakra, considering that you could accomplish so much more with handseals. Kakashi looked up from his hand and back at Zabuza. "You're too dangerous. Tazuna represents this country's courage, and this bridge is this land's hope. Your ideals sacrifice too many."

Zabuza growled, wishing Kakashi would hurry up. "They're my ideals for a reason, Kakashi. I will never give them up, just because you say so. I will fight for them until I die."

Kakashi glanced down at the destructive force that was his hand. "I ask you once more... surrender."

--

Haku's pleas were earnest. "Why are you hesitating? Kill me! I'm worthless now!"

Naruto removed his hand from Haku's neck... and slapped him full across the face. "You idiot! A broken tool?! Tools can be repaired, ready for use once again!"

Haku looked shocked, looking straight into Naruto's eyes as they turned blue once more. "You would forgive me... _her_ killer... just like that?"

Naruto sighed, and looked away from Haku's face towards Hinata. "I... would've done just what you had... in order to protect her. I understand exactly where you're coming from. But... it is too late to protect... when that precious person is dead. But... you can find other precious people, can't you? Can't you find a new reason to live? Remember, back in the forest? You're obviously a skilled healer... my sensei taught me that those herbs require a lot of training in order to use properly... why can't you become a healer instead of a fighter?"

Haku could not understand the logic that Naruto was using- he would rather let his enemy live, instead of avenging his precious person? "Why... why would you help me? I'm your enemy..."

Naruto sighed as he got off of Haku and began to walk towards Hinata, and lifted her head with his arms. "Because... if we had met under different terms... we might've become great friends... and Hinata... never did like unnecessary violence."

Haku sighed. "I... see. I have lost. I shall have to report this to Zabuza, then..." Haku's eyes widened in shock when he felt something with the limited sixth sense many shinobi had, and then... he smiled. "Thank you... Naruto... you have given me one last chance to be useful to Zabuza..." Haku disappeared in a poof of smoke, and Naruto knew all too well from the feeling in his stomach that he had probably just made a gigantic mistake.

--

Sasuke squinted to watch the two figures facing each other through the thick mist. It had slowly been clearing, and he was able to make out which one was Kakashi. Kakashi dashed towards his opponent, but... he was knocked back. He mist cleared some more, and Sasuke was shocked by what had happened- a few more of Haku's ice mirrors had appeared, and using them, Haku had teleported in front of Zabuza and had deflected Kakashi's attack, and had sent him flying backwards.

Zabuza sighed in relief when the ninken that had been holding him down had all disappeared- Haku had speared the scroll used to keep them here with his senbon, sending them back from whence they came. However, his wounds were cause for concern, and he fell forward, as the dogs had bitten into his leg muscles. Haku caught him, and carefully laid him down. "Thanks... Haku. You are... a very useful tool."

A look of shock was apparent in Haku's eyes, and a tear trickled down his cheek. Zabuza was just as surprised as his apprentice. "A... tear? What happened to you?"

Haku wiped his tear. "I apologize, Zabuza, but... I lost to that boy. His power just... isn't human. The only reason I'm alive is because he has the heart of a saint. And that last maneuver used up the last of my reserves. Any more fighting and I'll die."

Zabuza groaned as he watched the mist above him clear more and more. "I... see. So that's what that chakra was from before..." He turned to Kakashi, who was holding his chest- Haku had kicked him right where Zabuza had slashed him. "You hear that, Kakashi? We're done here. Both Haku and I have been defeated. To fight longer really would result in our deaths. You asked if I would surrender... I do. I'll have to fight for my ideals... some other time"

Kakashi was too stunned for words. He slowly got up, still wary of any attacks. "I'll have to take your word for it... but it does seem a bit too good to be true."

Sasuke looked at his employer. "You mind if I go check on Naruto and Hinata?"

Tazuna shook his head. "I'll go with you. They might need to be carried, and this way you won't be leaving me."

As Sasuke ran past Haku and Zabuza, Haku turned his head to face the boy. "I'm sorry... I was a little rough with them..."

Sasuke didn't listen to him, and ran straight towards Naruto, and was surprised to not see Hinata. "Naruto! You're alright! Where'd Hinata go?

Naruto flinched, and looked down at the ground- he knew that there was no way to stop what was coming. He lifted his head and looked at Sasuke, the sadness, the pain of loss evident in his eyes. "I'm... sorry, Sasuke. I failed."

Sasuke tensed- he knew what those words meant. He ran past Naruto, and when he saw Hinata, he was horrified to see the image before him- Hinata's needle-filled corpse. Sasuke knelt by her side, and lifted her head. "Hinata... come on, wake up... not you too... not you too..." However, with the needles going through her neck, Sasuke knew she was most likely never going to wake up... ever again.

Naruto put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, to try and comfort him. Sasuke would have none of it- he slapped Naruto's hand, and turned his head to glare at Naruto. Naruto saw tears coming down both cheeks, but what surprised him were his eyes- Sasuke now had the Sharingan, though his right eye only had two tomoe marks, while his left eye only had one. "Don't touch me!! She... she was a sister to me! When my clan was destroyed, you two were the only ones there for me! And now... She's gone!"

Sasuke placed Hinata's head gently on the ground, and stood up to face Naruto. He grit his teeth, pointed a finger accusingly at Naruto. "This is all your fault! She's dead because of _you! _She had hopes, dreams... and you let her die!"

Naruto let his gaze drift towards Hinata. "Yes... it is my fault. She died... to protect me. She was happy to do so. Just look... she's still smiling. She died doing what she wanted to do. As her brother... as _my_ brother... please, don't belittle her sacrifice."

Zabuza raised a non-existent eyebrow. "You actually killed one of them?"

Haku blushed. "Well... to tell the truth..."

A loud laugh echoed down the bridge. "My, my, what's this?! Don't tell me that the great demon, Zabuza, lost to a bunch of kids and their baby-sitter?"

All turned to face the voice- there, standing all by himself at the unfinished end of the bridge, was Gatou. The man chuckled at their surprised expressions. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

Zabuza growled as he managed to stand on his own. "I figured you were going to come... but to come all by yourself... you are a very foolish man, Gatou."

Gatou chuckled as withdrew a sword that had been concealed within his cane. "Well... believe what you want. You see, I came here to kill you... Zabuza. Actually, since you've failed your mission, I'll have to kill everyone here, won't I?"

Sasuke, who was closest, cracked his knuckles as all of his hatred was focused on Gatou. "You won't be killing anyone... especially since you're about to die at my hands. I'll make you regret... ever setting foot on this bridge."

**Kasek:** You thought I wasn't going to give Sasuke any action, didn't you? Hah! You were wrong! Anyways, place your bets- who will win, Sasuke or Gatou?

And now, I really will go through the early chapters and fix everything. Also, thanks to the anonymous reviewer who pointed out to me a major anatomy mistake I passed over in chapter 8.


	14. Chapter 14

**Kasek: **Sorry I took so long, couldn't get this chapter to go the way I wanted to, which combined with my regular writer's block and my lack of a laptop (don't worry, I got it working again), caused this chapter to be really late, not to mention not turn out the way I had intended at all.

So, yeah, changed a lot in the old chapters. Tried to get rid of my fanboyish Japanese (for the most part, sama and sensei are still there). Also, Sarutobi is now Hiruzen (its official, folks), so I went back and altered his name just because. Also, I'm referring to the Devil Fruit as the Akuma no Mi this chapter, because I follow the " no Mi" name scheme for the fruits; let me know if this is a positive change or negative. If positive, I'll change it through the rest of the story, if negative, I'll just keep it as Devil Fruit from now on.

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NEITHER NARUTO NOR ONE PIECE**

**Chapter 14: The Bridge Called Courage**

As Sasuke took a step forward, taking out a kunai and griping it in his right hand, Naruto glared at Gatou, and then turned his head to Sasuke. "I should warn you- he ate an Akuma no Mi, too."

Sasuke calmly reached into his back pouch and withdrew a kunai. "I wouldn't worry... I'm an avenger. Killing him... is all I live for at the moment. And if I can't kill this rat... then how will I avenge Hinata, let alone my family?"

Kakashi turned to Tazuna. "Akuma no Mi?"

Tazuna nodded. "Yeah... I was about to tell you about it when Zabuza attacked. Gatou and his two henchmen all have powers born from the fruit, like Naruto."

Haku looked confused. "What is this... Akuma no Mi?"

Kakashi focused his gaze on Gatou. "A fruit that, should you eat even one bite, grants you great power, in exchange for your ability to swim."

Zabuza struggled to get up, succeeding to do so. "If that's so... why should we trust that Sasuke kid with killing Gatoh?"

Kakashi sighed, as he watched Sasuke slowly march towards Gatou. "It's... for Sasuke's pride, I guess. While it was Haku who committed the deed, he wouldn't have if Gatou hadn't hired them."

Gatou pointed his sword towards Sasuke, and then slashed to the side. "So, if you already know about my powers... I guess it wouldn't hurt to bring them out, now, would it?" Gatou sneered, and the sneer grew wider as his nose grew in length, a black dot appearing at the end, and whiskers sprouting from it as well. His ears shifted from the side of his head, and traveled upwards, becoming covered in hair in the process. As his ears began to enlarge, and become near perfectly round, the fur growing all over his body began turning black.

Three of his fingers- as well as his thumb- lengthened, becoming both long and very narrow, while his two little fingers disappeared altogether. His shoes were ripped apart as his feet went under a similar transformation, though he retained all ten toes. Finally a long, thin tail appeared behind him, and Sasuke couldn't help but notice that Gatou now seemed more... rotund. The overall effect was that Gatou had turned into some sort of large rodent creature; he almost seemed... cartoonish.

Zabuza laughed at the new Gatou. "I always figured he was a rat... I didn't know he literally was one."

Gatou snorted. "If you want to make fun of me, go ahead... I'll still kill you all. And by the way, I'm a mouse, not a rat."

Sasuke snorted. "That's even less fear-inspiring than a rat. A rodent's a rodent: how about I just cut you apart and be done with it?"

Gatou turned up his head, allowing a view of his sneer. "I don't think so, kid... I think I'll cut you in half before you even touch one whisker on my nose." In an instant, Gatou seemed to teleport from his spot to directly in front of Sasuke- his sword clashed with Sasuke's kunai, and Sasuke did not seem phased at all by the speed of the attack. Gatou growled, and then noticed Sasuke's red eyes. "Nice eyes, kid... hope you don't mind if I gouge them out."

Sasuke snorted, and reached out and touched one of Gatou's whiskers. "Touch."

Gatou's face contorted in rage. He disappeared, and in an instant, he was behind Sasuke. Sasuke, due to his Sharingan, had seen Gatou move behind him from his right, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid what was coming- instead, he stepped to the left while turning around, suffering a slash to his left side while his right leg swung out at his opponent. Gatou jumped over it, and managed to spin in mid-air and kick at Sasuke, who managed to block the kick, but was pushed back a few feet from the force of it. Sasuke growled. "So, this is the strength lent to people with the power of the Akuma no Mi, eh? Not impressed."

Gatou sneered. "Brat. I'll have you know that strength and speed aren't the only things granted to me by this fruit. For instance... enhanced hearing and smelling. Mice are particularly good at sensing the smells given off by different chemicals in the body. For instance, you reek of fear and hatred right now, though you're doing a good job of hiding the fear. And if you want to see an example of another power granted me by the fruit, well..." He reached up with his left hand and removed his sunglasses, putting them in his pocket. Amusingly enough, his eyes were as big and round as his sunglasses were. He immediately closed them, and his sneer widened. "Why don't you attack me and find out?"

Sasuke dashed towards Gatou, and slashed at him with his kunai in every way he could. However, every time, Gatou would move out of the way, as if his eyes were open. Gatou even managed to dodge when his back was turned Eventually, Gatou spun around and tried to use the momentum to slice Sasuke in half; however, Sasuke saw it happening in slow motion with his Sharingan, and managed to jump out of the way in time, a small tear appearing on his shirt where the sword had almost touched him. Sasuke frowned. "A sixth sense, then?"

Gatou pulled his sunglasses back out and put them on his face, and then resumed a combat pose as he began circling Sasuke. "You see, these whiskers of mine aren't just for show. They can detect air currents, and I've refined the ability to the point where I can detect how an opponent is going to attack just by the feel of it!"

Zabuza turned to Kakashi after hearing that. "Is that... even possible?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I'm not a mouse."

Sasuke placed his kunai back in his pouch. "Air currents, huh? Then I guess you better prepare for an updraft, then!" He quickly placed his hands together into the familiar seals- Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, and Tiger, taking a deep breath and tilting his head back as he did so. As he brought his head back forward, he opened his mouth, and flames spewed forth from his mouth, heading straight for Gatou. Sasuke could not see what was happening, but he became very suspicious when he didn't hear any screams of pain. As the fire died down, Sasuke realized that not even a trace of Gatou was where it should've been.

Naruto saw some movement from behind Sasuke, and yelled to his teammate. "Sasuke, behind you!"

Sasuke turned around just in time to witness himself being impaled on Gatou's sword. Gatou sneered as blood began to stain Sasuke's shirt. "Looks like I win, brat."

Sasuke grit his teeth. "Not... yet... I can still... fight!" Gatou raised an eyebrow as Sasuke gripped the back of the blade, and then the both of them yelled out in pain as sparks of electricity flew out in every direction from the sword, causing Gatou to let go of his sword as he tried to get away. Sasuke pulled the sword out of his front, and smiled as he fell to the ground. "At least... I tried... your turn, Naruto... avenge... us both..."

Gatou turned back to his normal form, and rubbed his nose. "Darn it... the smell of burnt fur was overpowering..." He paled when he felt a presence towering over him. Looking up, he saw that it was Naruto in his hybrid form, cracking his knuckles. Naruto grabbed Gatou by the front of his shirt and lifted him into the air with his left hand. He pulled back his right hand, obviously intending to punch Gatou. Knowing that his human form could not survive such a thing, he transformed into his half-mouse form, and braced himself for impact. However, Naruto did not punch him, but instead brought him over to Sasuke. Gatou realized that tears were falling down the sides of Naruto's face.

"Do you see what you've done, Gatou?! Because of you, I've lost my two teammates! How do you plan to make up for this, huh?!"

Gatou sneered as his tail slowly snaked around his sword. "I don't plan... to make up for anything!" He swung his lower body towards Naruto, and slashed Naruto across the chest. As Naruto let go, Gatou fell to the ground, and immediately began dashing towards the three ninja observing the fight, placing his sword back in his hand. "Alright, one of you is gong to die... and I think I know exactly who!"

As Gatou raced towards them, Kakashi dashed to meet him. However, Gatou managed to jump above him, and continued towards Zabuza and Haku. Haku threw some senbon in self-defense, but Gatou managed to avoid those, too. Zabuza realized exactly who he was going for- Haku. He managed to push Haku out of the way, and got stabbed himself. Zabuza smirked as he turned to Gatou, and muttered, "Look behind you" as he collapsed. Gatou realized that someone or some_thing_ had a good grip on his tail, and he didn't need to turn around to know that it was Naruto. He turned around anyways, and shuttered as he looked into the blood-red eyes of Naruto's most muscular form, which Gatou realized was much taller than his earlier half-fox form. Naruto began spinning, and Gatou began spinning with him. Eventually, Naruto let go, and Gatou slammed into the small wall of the bridge, several cracks forming around him. Naruto walked up to him, and sneered. "I think I just found the best method of execution for you, Gatou..."

Gatou's whiskers drooped. "A-and that would be?"

"To drown in the very waters this bridge is meant to cross... after all, you can't swim." Naruto punched Gatou straight through the wall, and when he fell into the water, screaming, he did not come back up.

Naruto, now in his human form, walked back towards Zabuza, and leaned over him. "Is he..."

Zabuza rolled over onto his back, and coughed up some blood, staining his bandages. "I'm probably not going to make it... but I think it best you hear what Haku has to tell you. Don't mind me."

Naruto looked at Haku, who smiled. "That girl... I didn't kill her. Well, I tried my best not to, anyways. Go to your friends, I can take care of things here."

Naruto gave a grateful smile, and rushed back to Hinata and Sasuke. Tazuna came over, and locked eyes with Zabuza. Zabuza smirked. "Sorry about the whole 'trying to kill you' business... it was nothing personal. You, too, Kakashi. Good fight."

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "You know, I think I might actually miss you when you're gone."

Zabuza coughed again, and smirked. "Heh. We shinobi die, it's part of our job descriptions. I wouldn't mind a nice grave, though..." He turned his head to look at Haku. "Hey, Haku. If you want, why don't you go with these people? I'm sure Konoha would be more appreciative of a shinobi with a Kekkei Genkai than Kiri ever was... well, if Kakashi agrees to it."

Kakashi looked on as Naruto managed to get Sasuke up, and hefted him onto his shoulders. "Well... If Naruto forgives you..."

Sasuke smiled as the two of them walked towards Hinata. "I saw what you did to Gatou... you sure he didn't survive that?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah... people like me and him can't swim. It's part of the curse given to us by the Akuma no Mi."

Sasuke shook his head. "Still... I would've preferred a more definite death, like cutting off his head."

They kneeled next to Hinata. Naruto lifted her head, and both he and Sasuke smiled when he saw her eyelids flutter open. "Na-Naruto? Sasuke? Are we... still alive?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah... I beat Haku, Kakashi beat Zabuza, and me and Sasuke beat Gatou when he showed up."

Hinata smiled. "That's... good. I'm just glad that everyone is safe."

Sasuke nodded his head. "And everyone else is glad that you're safe... Hinata."

Zabuza called out to them, his head now in Haku's lap. "Oy, fox-boy... can you come over here for a bit? I need to talk to you."

Hinata looked at Naruto and Sasuke inquisitively. "Huh? I thought you said..."

Naruto smiled. "They're not after Tazuna anymore. They gave up. I'll see you later, okay?" Hinata nodded, and Naruto rushed back to the group of adults. "What do you want?"

Zabuza looked at Haku, who merely nodded. "So, you beat Haku, huh?"

Naruto stiffened. "Well... I guess... I did..."

Zabuza closed his eyes in thought. "...that Devil Fruit must really be something, then... to give a kid like you the power that it does... I could feel the demonic energy all the way from here..."

Kakashi noticed Naruto stiffen. _Looks like Naruto knows that it wasn't the Akuma no Mi that gave off that energy... either way, I'll have to report it to the Hokage._

Naruto nodded. "Y-yeah..."

Zabuza sighed as he opened his eyes. "However, you're not going to be able to defeat your opponents with your bare hands every time. So, I have a proposition for you."

Naruto looked surprised. "A proposition?"

Zabuza coughed again, more blood spilling from his mouth. "As you can see, my time here is pretty much up... so, why don't you take my sword, Kubikiri Hocho? Those other forms of yours look like they could swing it around, and I don't want it to just gain rust on my grave."

Naruto gulped. "Y-your sword? You said this was a proposition, right? What do I have to do in return?"

Zabuza smirked underneath his mask. "Well... I want you to take Haku to Konoha. Be his friend. He's always had a kind heart... he'd do well in a village like yours."

Naruto smiled. "I think I'd want to do that even without the offering of a cool sword like yours..."

Zabuza's smirk remained. "Well, then, do we have a deal?" He lifted up his sword for Naruto to grab by the hilt. Naruto transformed into his his standard hybrid form, grabbed the hilt, and lifted it over his shoulders. "Deal."

"G-Grandpa!"

Everyone turned to where the noise had come from- standing there was Inari, and just about every man from the town, all geared up for battle- Inari himself was wearing a pot on his head, a crossbow in his hands. Tazuna looked about to cry. "I-Inari.. you... everybody..."

Inari looked around. "Umm... where is everybody? Don't tell me it's already over..."

Zabuza looked at him as Inari walked over, the rest of the men following him. "'Fraid so, kid... all that's left is for me to die here... then, the curtain on this play can finally close."

Inari's eyes widened as he took in Zabuza's features. "Are you... the demon Zabuza?"

Zabuza chuckled. "The demon Zabuza, huh? Hey, maybe I could go get a job torturing Gatou in hell, if they'll let me."

A man spoke up. "Gatou's... dead?"

Naruto grinned. "He fell off the bridge without being able to so much as float. I think he's dead."

The men began crowding around Naruto. "Whoa, does he have the power of the Akuma no Mi, too?" "Are you supposed to be some kind of fox man or something?" "Thats real fur alright... creepy." "I wish I had powers like that..." Naruto, blushing, reverted back to his normal form, laying Zabuza's sword carefully on the ground.

Zabuza coughed. "That boy... using his powers, he not only defeated Haku, but he killed Gatou. He is... the savior of your country, I suppose."

All of the men seemed really pleased with this, and began excitedly chattering, each attempting to shake Naruto's hand or pat him on the back. Kakashi smiled. "Well, his first C-rank mission and already he's famous."

Zabuza coughed up even more blood. "Oh... I guess it's time for me to leave."

He felt what felt like a raindrop land on his face. Looking up, he saw Haku crying. "Don't waste your tears on me... I'm the past, now. You have your whole life to look forward to- if you have to cry for something, cry in happiness that you are able to _live_."

Haku nodded, and then Zabuza slowly reached up to his bandages and pulled them off, revealing his smiling face. Snow began falling all around them, causing the men to stare up into the air in wonder- it was summer. Haku wiped his tears. "I... suppose you're right. Technically, as a shinobi, as a tool, I'm not supposed to be crying at all..."

Zabua closed his eyes for a second, and looked into Haku's eyes. "You never were able to kill your heart... maybe it's for the best that you never become a true shinobi. Keep your heart- show people who you truly are. After all... shinobi are human, too."

Haku nodded once again. "I'll take that... as your last orders, then..."

Zabuza smiled as he reached up and stroked Haku's face. "There... that's a good attitude to take... we had a good run, didn't we? Goodbye... Haku... my... son..." Zabuza's hand fell down to the ground, and while Haku's tears had stopped flowing, the snow increased until one could only see a few feet in front of oneself.

--

_**Two weeks later**_

The shinobi all stood in front of Zabuza's grave, Haku at the forefront, now dressed in the same clothes he had met Naruto in. "I guess this is goodbye... father."

A lot had happened in the two weeks since the battle on the bridge. For one, the bridge had been completed. Even though it hadn't been long enough for anybody to really use it, the entire country seemed in a much better mood.

Zori and Waraji, after being released, went on their way to find a new job. They were sure they could find one- though Naruto's suggestion was that they join the circus as circus bears. While Zori seemed to resent being called a bear ("Koalas are marsupials!"), they still seemed to be considering it when they left- after all, making children laugh for a living would be a good way to make up for making Inari cry for so long (not to mention that Zori kind of looked like a clown as it was).

Haku helped Hinata recover using his great medical skills that he had learned back in Kirigakure, though even after two weeks she still needed to keep her neck bandaged. Naruto and Sasuke took turns at her bedside, while the other would help with building the bridge. The men were all impressed by Naruto's Kage Bunshin and hybrid form, which he used to great effect to speed up construction by bringing the men their materials whenever they needed some.

After the bridge was done, Team 7 and Haku were all ready to leave, and were seen off by Tazuna, Inari, Tsunami, and Giichi. It was hard to say good bye, especially for Inari and Naruto, though they eventually managed to do so, albeit tearfully. As the ninja walked down the bridge, Tazuna smiled. "That boy managed to change Inari's heart... and Inari changed the people's hearts... that boy gave us a bridge to 'hope', named 'courage'. Speaking of bridges... we need to name this bridge. And I think I have the perfect name for it, too."

Giichi looked surprised. "Oh? What is it?"

Tazuna smiled. "How about... the Great Naruto Bridge? Yeah, that's a good name."

Giichi smirked. "You sure about that name?"

Tazuna's smile didn't falter. "Heh... this name is in hope that the bridge never crumbles... and will one day become a super-famous bridge, whose name is known throughout the world..."

--

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed as he read Kakashi's report. "Well, all seems well and good, but... Naruto seems to be more and more aware of the fox inside of him, huh?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes... the fox's powers react to the hatred within his heart, and alter the nature of his Akuma no Mi powers. I personally saw a shorter hybrid form, while from what I gathered from Haku, Naruto turned into a miniature version of the Kyuubi itself."

Hiruzen nodded. "Yes... it looks like I'll have to have a talk with him about that soon... also, does Naruto seem interested in that sword he received?"

Kakashi smirked. "He spent quite a lot of time practicing with it... he seems to like it. I even taught him how to seal it into a scroll so he can carry it with him."

Hiruzen smirked. "I see... maybe I'll give him some tips on that while I'm at it... well, if that's everything, you're dismissed."

Kakashi shok his head. One last thing... while it didn't seem to affect him at the time, Sasuke has recently been very upset over his loss to Gatou. I heard him complain to himself that, if he doesn't have the power to save his friends, how can he avenge his clan? You might want to see him about it." He turned around and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Hiruzen sighed as he looked out the window. "The Kyuubi... the Akuma no Mi... this is all too complicated. I hope the strain doesn't provide too much for Naruto..."


	15. Chapter 15

**Kasek: **This is taken almost straight from the manga (except for the end), so don't really expect any surprises. Posting this and the next chapter at the same time to make up for it.

Also, congrats to Emma Iveli for being the first to point out that Gatou's powers are, indeed, inspired by Naruto Abridged. As for the names of the fruits: I couldn't think of a name for the koala fruit (probably something along the lines of "Marsu Marsu no Mi: Model Koala"), but Waraji's is Kuma Kuma no Mi: Model Grizzly. Other models include Marsu Marsu no Mi: Model Kangaroo and Kuma Kuma no Mi: Model Panda. As for Gatou's, again, I couldn't come up with a good name, probably Geshi Geshi no Mi: Model Mouse (After geshirui, apparently Japanese for rodent) or the Nezu Nezu no Mi (after nezumi, the Japanese word for mouse). Others along the rodent line include rabbit and squirrel. Another thing, I'm gonna try to cut back on the Zoans from here on out, but I have at least two left planned for this first story. I'll zip my lips before I reveal who they are.

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING. At least, not Naruto and One Piece.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: New foes! Am I Strong Enough...?**

Naruto yawned as he got up from bed, his fox-head sleeping cap slipping off of his head. He quickly ate his breakfast, got dressed, and headed out the door, making sure to lock it from the outside. He smiled as he walked down the stairs. "Feels like today's going to be another great day for missions. I can't wait!"

As he approached the meeting place, he spotted Hinata and Sasuke. "Hey! Guys!"

Hinata smiled at Naruto's approach, while Sasuke let out a small 'hn', a hint of a smile on his lips. "So, how long have you guys been here?"

Hinata sighed. "We've been here an hour so far..."

Naruto looked up at the clouds passing overhead. "Guess that means we still have two hours..."

Sasuke shook his head. "You know, if Kakashi knew you came late, he might actually show up on time for once just to teach you a lesson."

Naruto snorted. "Kakashi-sensei? On time? Please..."

It had been a while since the mission to the Land of Waves. Haku had gone on and started working in the medical corps., while Team 7 had resumed their more ordinary duties. Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata had all trained hard since then, with Sasuke and Hinata gaining more and more mastery over their elements. Naruto had begun training in his wind element, but he knew it would be a long while before he would get anywhere with it. He had also continued his training with Kubikiri Hocho, and now his hybrid form- which had shown signs of getting more muscular- could wield it with ease.

Sure enough, Kakashi didn't arrive until two hours later. The Genin didn't complain, though; they were used to it. "Alright, I guess its time for missions. First up..."

It wasn't long before they completed their missions for the day. Kakashi smiled under his mask. "I guess that's it for today..." He looked up into the sky, noticing a bird flying overhead. "I need to go turn this in. See ya!"

After he disappeared, Sasuke snorted. "I'm going to go home and train by myself. See you guys tomorrow, alright?"

Naruto sighed as he watched him walk away. "Geez... he doesn't really train with us anymore, does he?"

Hinata shook her head. "He's been acting differently lately..."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah... hey, do you want to train, too? I need to work on my taijutsu, myself." Hinata was about to agree, when she noticed a square rock with two holes in the front moving behind Naruto.

"U-umm... Naruto, behind you..."

Naruto looked, and the rock stopped moving. He turned around, and the rock moved again Naruto turned around in time to see it moving, and he frowned. "Konohamaru... I know it's you. Rocks aren't square like that."

The rock tilted on its side, letting three small children out, two boys and a girl. The brown-haired one spoke first. "Just what I'd expect from you, big bro!"

Naruto smiled. Konohamaru was Hiruzen's grandson, and had grown up with Naruto always around, and so the two acted as brothers. Later on in life, Konohamaru formed the "Konohamaru Corps" with his friends Udon and Moegi, and they treated Naruto as the boss "So, what do you guys want from me?"

The girl, Moegi, nervously got in front of the group. "Ummm... leader, are you free?"

Naruto sighed. "I don't think so... I really need to train..."

Konohamaru pouted. "But you promised us that you'd play Ninja with us today!"

"Oh yeah..."

Hinata giggled at the thought of a ninja playing Ninja. Konohamaru looked at her. "Blue hair, lavender eyes... are you Hinata?"

Hinata smiled and nodded. "And you are Konohamaru, correct? Pleased to meet you."

Konohamaru turned to Naruto. "Hey, Naruto, is she your..." He lifted up his little finger, to signify 'girlfriend'. "...yet?"

Naruto blushed in extreme embarrassment. Hinata herself was completely red. Naruto scowled at his 'little brother'. "Konohamaru! You don't just say those kinds of things!"

Konohamaru grinned. "So is that a yes?"

--

As Kakashi turned in his reports, Iruka smiled. "So, how's your squad doing? Hinata and Sasuke doing well?"

Kakashi nodded. "Sasuke's been growing a little distant since that C-rank in the Land of Waves, but I think he'll be fine. As for Hinata, she's been training quite a bit. I think it won't be long before they surpass you."

Iruka looked at his desk. "Is that so... and how's Naruto?"

Kakashi was surprised- he didn't think Iruka would care. "Naruto's... Naruto. It feels like he holds the team together sometimes. He'll go far for sure."

--

At the moment, Naruto was going far in a different way than Kakashi had intended- he was chasing Konohamaru for saying such embarrassing things all over town. "Get back here, you little punk!"

For obvious reasons, Konohamaru did not do as told. "Catch me if you can, big bro!" However, the chase was stopped short when Konohamaru crashed into someone. Looking up, he saw that it was a big guy wearing nearly all black, a cat-eared hood on top of his face, and with kabuki paint on his face. He also carried a large package wrapped in bandages on his back. Next to him was a blond girl in a white shirt/skirt combo, with mesh netting underneath, and with what looked like a giant fan on her back. They both had hitai-ate that signified that they were from Sunagakure instead of Konohagakure.

The one in black growled. "That hurt..."

--

Kiba, Shino, and a now short-haired Sakura sat panting on the ground as Kurenai stood watching them. She looked into the sky, and saw the same bird that Kakashi had seen earlier. _What could this be about?_

Asuma looked up into the sky as his team ate their food and saw the same bird. _Shoot... right now?_

_--_

The boy lifted Konohamaru into the air. "That hurt, you little brat!"

The girl sighed "Don't, Kankuro, we'll get yelled at for it later."

Kankuro chuckled. "Whatever, Temari."

Naruto growled as Hinata caught up with them. "Let. Him. Go."

Kankuro stuck his tongue out. "Make me, you little punk." Kankuro noticed Naruto's headband. _Must be a Konoha Genin..._

Naruto dashed towards Kankuro, but jumped back when Kankuro's fingers twitched. "Oi, Suna nin! What did you just do?"

Kankuro smirked. "Looks like Konoha Genin aren't so weak after all..."

--

Hiruzen looked around at all of the ninja gathered before him. "You've all been gathered for one reason... it should be obvious by the members here."

Kakashi sighed. "It's already that time of year again, huh..."

A man named Genma, a senbon sticking out of his mouth, his hitai-ate bandana on backwards, spoke next. "It's already been reported to the other villages, I saw them in the village. So, when is it?"

"In a week."

"Wow, that soon?"

Hiruzen let a puff of smoke escape his mouth. "Well, I'll announce it properly in a week... that, on the first day f the seventh moon... the Chunin Selection Exams will commence!"

--

"Konohamaru!"

Naruto growled as Kankuro still refused to let Konohamaru go. "Don't make me make you put him down..."

Hinata looked worried. "Na-Naruto, maybe we shouldn't anger him..."

Kankuro glared at Naruto. "You're annoying. You see, I hate midgets... especially younger, ruder ones... makes me want to kill them."

Naruto's eyes widened. "You... even if that weren't the Hokage's grandson you were holding, you think I'd ever forgive you for such a thing?"

Kankuro smirked. "You're bluffing.. either way, when I'm done with him, you're next."

As Kankuro was about to punch him, a rock came from a nearby tree and hit his hand, causing him to drop Konohamaru in recoil. "What the?!"

Sasuke snorted from his perch in the tree. "What are you guys doing in our village?"

Hinata smiled. "Sasuke...!"

Temari smirked to herself. _He's pretty handsome..._

_--_

Hiruzen closed his eyes. "First we'll hear from the ones looking after the newest Genin. Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma... well?" He opened his eyes as they stepped to the front. "Are there any Genin that you want to enter in this exam? I don't have to tell you, but Genin may take the exams after completing at least 8 missions, though more is the norm."

Iruka furrowed his brow. _Does he even need to ask? Of course they're not ready yet!_

"Now, starting with Kakashi..."

Kakashi held his right hand in front of him in a handseal. "The Kakashi led Team 7... consisting of Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Hyuuga Hinata... under the name of Hatake Kakashi, I nominate these three to take the Chuunin Selection Exams..."

Iruka was shocked. "Wh... what?!"

Kurenai took the same pose as Kakashi had. "The Kurenai led Team 8... consisting of Haruno Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino... under the name of Yuuhi Kurenai, the same as to my left."

Asuma repeated what his two comrades had. "The Asuma led Team 10... consisting of Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji... under the name of Sarutobi Asuma, the same as to my left."

Hiruzen looked surprised. "All of them, hmm? How rare..."

Iruka spoke up. "Hold on a second!"

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Iruka?"

"Hokage-sama, please let me have a word! I may be speaking out of place, but... most of these nine were students of mine at the Academy. Of course they are all talented, but it is still too early for them to take the exam. They need more experience, I can't understand the Jonins' reasoning."

Kakashi looked blankly at Iruka. "Well, I became a Chuunin when I was six years younger than they are now..."

Iruka frowned. "They are different from you! Are you _trying_ to crush these kids? The Chuunin Exams are...!"

Kakashi chuckled. "They've seemed rather bored with every mission since the Land of Waves. Perhaps crushing them could be fun..."

Iruka looked shocked. "Wha... what?!"

Kakashi smiled. "Calm down, Iruka-sensei, it was a joke. I can understand your feelings... I know you're upset, but..."

Kurenai frowned. "Stop it, Kakashi."

Kakashi's face turned dead serious. "...they are no longer your students. They are now _my_ soldiers."

--

Kankuro growled. "Another little midget.. I hate you guys..."

Sasuke growled back. "Get lost."

Naruto smirked. "I wondered when you were going to interfere... Sasuke."

Sasuke shrugged. "You seemed a little far away... and it'd be a shame for the Hokage's grandson to get punched by a foreign ninja... it could cause a war, you know."

Kankuro frowned. "I hate show-offs like you the most..." He took the package off of his back and placed it standing up on the ground. "Why don't you come down here?"

Temari looked surprised. "Don't tell me you're going to use Karasu...!"

A voice came from behind Sasuke, completely startling everyone there. "Stop it, Kankuro. You're an embarrassment to our village." Everyone turned, and saw that it was a red head boy Naruto and Sasuke's age, with a large gourd on his back. He had a solid black ring around each eye, and a red kanji for 'love' tattooed on his forehead. He was standing upside down from the tree branch.

Kankuro smiled nervously. "Ga-Gaara..."

Sasuke frowned. _Where did he come from? He's as sneaky as Kakashi..._

Gaara continued to speak. "Losing yourself in a fight, how pathetic... why do you think we came to Konoha?"

Kankuro seemed especially nervous. "Listen, they started it, and, uh, um..."

Gaara glared at him. "Shut up. I'll kill you."

Kankuro seemed to realize that the threat was all too real. "A-ah, I'm really, really sorry!"

Temari seemed scared, as well. "I'm really sorry, too!"

Sasuke analyzed the red-head. _So, this one's the leader... he has strange eyes._

Gaara looked towards Sasuke. "Sorry to you guys..." He disappeared in a whirlwind and reappeared between Temari and Kankuro. _He hit Kankuro with a rock... he's good..._ "It looks like we got here too early, but... we didn't come here to play around."

Kankuro frowned. "I know _that..._"

Gaara turned around. "Let's go."

"Wait!"

Gaara turned back around. It was Naruto who had called out to them. "You're from Suna, right? You may be our allies, but you're not allowed to just waltz in here. State your purpose. Depending on it, I may be allowed to let you guys go."

Temari smirked, a held out what looked to be a pass. "Pft, don't you know? It's time for the Chunin Exams..."

Naruto blinked. "Oh. Well, I guess that works. You got lucky, you hear me? I don't like it when my friends are threatened..."

Sasuke came down from the tree. "Hey, what's your name?"

Temari blushed. You mean me?"

Sasuke scratched his cheek. "Well, yeah, I guess you too.. but I meant the guy with gourd."

Gaara eyed Sasuke warily. "...Sabaku no Gaara. I'm also interested in your name..."

"It's Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto smiled. "And I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

Gaara frowned. "I don't care..."

Sasuke smirked. "You should. Last I checked, he's even stronger than I am."

Naruto blushed. "Well, yeah, but you're pretty strong yourself, Sasuke."

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "Is that so? Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke... I'll remember those names, then. Let's go."

As the three of them left, another three ninja were watching. They were wearing hitai-ate with a music note on it, and wearing gray camouflage. One of them, whose face was wrapped like a mummy's, narrowed his left and only visible eye. "The black-haired Konoha-nin and the Suna-nin with the gourd... we'll have to keep an eye on them."

The girl of the three spoke up. "What about the blond? He's supposed to be stronger than the Uchiha."

The mummy seemed to smirk. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt..."

--

Somewhere else, on a training field filled with training dummies poked full of many, many holes, many of them still filled with kunai...

A boy's voice spoke first. The boy in question had a black bowl cut, and was wearing a green jump suit. "Hey! Did you hear? For the first time in five years, there are gong to be rookies in the Chunin Exams!"

A girl spoke next. She was wearing a Chinese style shirt, and her brown hair was done up in two buns. She was twirling a kunai expertly. "No way! It's probably some stubborn Jonin in competition or something."

The boy spoke up again. "No, the story is that three of them are the students of _that_ Kakashi..."

Another boy spoke up. He had long brown hair, and his eyes were the same as Hinata's and Hiashi's- a member of the Hyuuga clan. "That sounds interesting... but in the end..." The girl threw her kunai, and it hit the target right above the Hyuuga's head dead center. "...you have to feel sorry for them."

--

_**The next day**_

Naruto yawned as he and his teammates waited for their sensei. He had asked them to meet him earlier than they normally did, so they looked a little... disheveled. Naruto looked at Hinata's messy hair- it was sticking up in several places. "Umm... Hinata? I've been meaning to ask... what happened to your hair?"

Hinata paled. "Well, umm... I overslept, and I was in such a rush, and, well, I forgot to take care of it..."

Naruto sighed. "Geez... we should've figured Kakashi-sensei would be late for this, too..."

Sasuke nodded. "He's late for everything, isn't he..."

Their talking was interrupted by said sensei, who was standing on one of the large arches on the ends of the bridge. "Yo! Sorry I'm late I got lost on the road of life." As Naruto huffed and Hinata shyly ran a hand through her messy hair, he continued. "Well, anyways... I know this is sudden, but I've nominated you three for the Chunin Selection Exams. Here are your applications."

Naruto took his and smiled. "Heh... I can't wait... I need to make that Kankuro guy pay for what he tried to do to Konohamaru..."

Sasuke smirked as he took his own paper. "And I want to see if my training's been paying off... that Gaara guy looks like a strong enough opponent."

Hinata slowly took her own paper. "I hope I can do this right... It feels like I'm not much use to the team sometimes..."

Naruto frowned at the thought of Hinata losing to Haku. "Don't worry, Hinata... Haku was a Jonin-level shinobi. There's no way you could lose to some Genin."

Hinata blushed at Naruto's encouragement. "Th-thank you... Naruto..."

Narutos smile came back to his face. "No problem!"

Kakashi sighed loudly to get their attention. "Anyways, these are just nominations. Whether or not to take the exam is up to each of you. Those who want to take it should sign these paprs and hand them in at room 301 at the Academy by Four P.M. tomorrow. That is all." He immediately disappeared.

Naruto looked at his paper again. "The Chunin Selection Exams..."

--

As Hinata walked home, staring at the paper in her hand, she sighed. _Is what Naruto said... really true...?_ She was so distracted that she didn't even notice that someone was right in front of her until they had collided. She fell on the ground, having been thrown off-balance so unexpectedly. "Oww..."

She looked up, and noticed that the other person was Haku. Haku looked happy to see Hinata. "Oh! Hinata! Long time no see!"

Hinata got up and bushed herself off. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

Haku's smile faded a little. "That's quite alright. As long as you're not hurt..." Hinata shook her head. "Oh, that's good. So, I assume it's that paper in your hands that's got your attention?"

Hinata nodded. "yes... it's an application for the Chunin Exams. I was wondering on whether or not I should enter..."

Haku seemed surprised. "The Chunin Exams? Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You guys are all strong."

Hinata looked down at the paper. "Even... me?"

Haku looked at her quizzically. "Why do you doubt your own strength? You were able to hold your own against me... and I'm Jonin level."

Hinata smiled a bit, and looked back at Haku. "Thank you... Naruto said the same thing, but for some reason, it sounds better coming from you..."

Haku smiled again. "That's alright. Isn't that what friends are for? And what about your teammates, how do you think the team would do without you by their side? They were both extremely upset when you 'died'... Naruto almost killed me. Remember, your teammates are always there for you. To cover up any weaknesses you might have... but in return, you have to cover up their weaknesses, alright?"

Hinata remembered back to their survival exam with Kakashi. _"__If it weren't for you, I'd be dead right now!" _She nodded. "Yes... thank you. I'll do my best!"

* * *

**Kasek: **Again, not that much different than the manga. I was tempted to have hybrid Naruto pick up Kankuro by the front of _his_ shirt, but I decided that would be against Naruto's policy of not being transformed in public.


	16. Chapter 16

**Kasek: **Again, this chapter doesn't deviate too much from the manga. Once we hit the Forest of Death, you'll start noticing some bigger differences.

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor One Piece**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Meeting Team Gai**

"Hinata! Sasuke!"

Hinata seemed to almost glow as she smiled back at Naruto. "Naruto! Good morning!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You're in an unusually good mood this morning, Hinata."

Hinata blushed. "Well, that's, er..."

Naruto grabbed them both by the arms and practically dragged them along. "Come on, come on! We need to get going, now!"

--

Once at the Academy, they were amazed at the sheer number of shinobi hanging around. Once they got to the second floor, there seemed to be a it of a spectacle, as many ninja had gathered here. They saw a boy with a bowl cut get pushed down. There were teenage boys blocking a door labeled '301'. One of them was spiky-haired, had a red nose, and had what appeared to be two extra large kunai strapped to his back. The other one was wearing a bandanna-type hitai-ate, and also wearing a chin strap. The spiky-haired one spoke first. "Hah! You plan to take the Chunin exams with that?! You're nothing but a little kid!"

The other one sneered. "Yeah, yeah!"

A Chinese-looking girl looked sad. "Please... let us through..." She stepped forward, but was quickly punched in the face.

One of the ninja surrounding them flinched. "How horrible..."

The spiky-haired one twitched. "What did you say? Listen- this is our kindness. The Chunin Exams aren't easy... we've failed them three times straight. Those that take these exams and end up quitting as shinobi... those that die in these exams... we've seen it all. And Chunin often become captains of military teams. The failure of a mission, the death of a comrade... that is all the captain's responsibility. And kids like you think you can handle it? We're just thinning out those that would fail, anyways... what's wrong with that?"

Naruto nodded. "Well, not much, I guess... but can you guys split up a bit so we can get though this hallway? We need to get to the third floor."

The surrounding ninja grew uncomfortable. "Get through this hallway? But this is where we're supposed to be going..." "What's he talking about? This is the third floor. The sign says so!"

The ninja with the chin strap smirked. "Oh, so you noticed..."

Naruto frowned. "Please, you think such a simple genjutsu can trick a master trickster like me?"

The sign seemed to warp a little, and the '301' turned into a '201'. The ninja with the red nose smirked. "Hmph. Not bad... but all you did... was see through it!" He appeared right in front of Naruto, and kicked at him. However, his kick was caught by Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed. "Really... is that all you've got?"

Naruto frowned. "Hey, hey, Sasuke... you shouldn't show off like that. You might draw attention."

Sasuke shook his head. "Whatever. I just wanted to see what I could do with my training. I'm better than I was back at the bridge... I won't ever lose to anyone ever again, not even devils..." He let go of his opponent, who walked away.

The lavender-eyed boy walked up to them. "Hinata-sama, I see you decided to join the exam after all... Naruto, Sasuke. It's been a while."

Hinata looked surprised. "Oh! Neji!"

The boy with the bowl-cut walked over. "So this is your cousin's team, Neji?"

Tenten frowned. "Aww, how come she gets cute guys on her team?"

The bowl-cut boy looked about to cry, while Neji seemed indifferent. Naruto smiled. "Neji! You've changed."

Neji frowned. "And you haven't changed one bit... honestly, what kind of shinobi wears only an open vest and shorts?"

Naruto grinned. "Me, of course! And who are your teammates?"

Neji turned to the girl on his left. "This is Tenten..."

Tenten smiled, and shook Naruto's hand. "Hello! Hey, hey, I hear you got your hands on Momochi Zabuza's Kubikiri Hocho! Is that true?!"

Naruto was a little creeped out. "Well... yeah, I guess so..."

Tenten seemed to almost glow with happiness. "So cool! You'll have to show me sometime!"

Naruto merely smiled and nodded. _What is __**up**__ with this girl?_

Neji then turned to the guy on his right. "And this is Rock Lee."

Lee shook Sasuke's hand. "So, you are Uchiha Sasuke? I look forward to testing my skills against the mighty Uchiha clan!"

Sasuke smirked. "Bring it. I'll take on all challengers. Just be warned, I'm not gonna lose."

Rock Lee replied with a smirk of his own. "So confident! I definitely can't wait!"

Sasuke noticed something- Lee's injuries from before was gone. Now that he looked, Tenten's face looked just fine for someone who had been punched so hard. _Just what... is going on with these three? They're stronger than they let on... and one of them's a Hyuuga like Hinata, can't let my guard down around him for sure._

As Team 7 walked away, Lee stared after them thoughtfully. Tenten shook his shoulder. "Come on, we have to go."

Lee shook his head. "Go on without me, I'll be right back..." He then proceeded to follow Team 7. When they reached a more wide-open area, he called out to them- or specifically, Sasuke. "Uchiha Sasuke! I can't wait- I must challenge you to a duel right now!"

Sasuke eyed his opponent as he jumped down. _This guy... no doubt about it, he's packed with power_. "I'll let you fight me... if you can beat Naruto first."

Naruto looked surprised. "Wasn't it just yesterday that you said I was stronger than you...?"

Sasuke smirked. "I did. If he can beat you, then that means he'll be a challenge for me."

Naruto cracked his knuckles as he stepped up to the plate. "Sorry... Lee, was it? I can't exactly go all out here, so even I won't be surprised if I lose..." He dashed towards Lee, and made to kick at his head with his right leg. Lee ducked under that, and Naruto jumped with his left leg and attempted to bring his right leg down on Lee's head. Lee caught it with his left hand, but was surprised when Naruto brought his left leg forward for another kick. He caught that with his right hand. Naruto landed on his hands, and immediately tried to turn over, twisting his body with all of his might to make Lee let go. Lee did let go of Naruto's right leg, but then he used his now free left hand to grab Naruto's left leg and lift him off of the ground, and then spun him around before throwing him at a nearby wall.

Naruto smirked as he landed on the wall like he would a floor, and then quickly built up chakra in his feet. He jumped off of the wall and towards Lee with greater speed than he had been thrown. However, Lee ducked under him and kicked him in the stomach, causing some vomit to escape Naruto's mouth. As Naruto seemed to freeze in mid-air, Lee slid out from under him and kicked him in the side, knocking him into a nearby wall, where he collapsed. Lee took a fighting pose, one hand behind his back, another held in front of him, as he faced Sasuke. "Next."

Sasuke frowned. "So, you really did beat him... you're pretty fast. Looks like I'll have to use _that_." He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, his dark eyes were replaced with the red of the Sharingan.

Lee smirked. "So, let us so who is stronger- the #1 Konoha Genin, or the #1 rookie!"

He charged at Lee, who braced himself. _He's coming... I'm sorry, Gai-sensei. I may need to break your rules... I may need to use __**that**__ move!_ Lee then lashed out with a kick. Sasuke jumped back a little to avoid it, and then sed the same chakra trick as Naruto, jumping at Lee with great speed. Lee couldn't dodge in time, so instead he grabbed Sasuke's punch, stopping Sasuke in mid-air. As Sasuke put his feet on the ground, he grimaced. "To be able to stop a punch like that... I can see the chakra running through your body, you know. That's a neat trick, I'll have to remember it."

Sasuke pulled back, and putting chakra into his fist, again punched Lee. Lee again tried to stop it with his hand, but this time he was pushed back quite a bit. Then, Sasuke dashed towards his opponent. However, just as he was about to reach him, he stopped and pulled his head back- Lee's foot appeared where his face would've been if he hadn't stopped. Lee was on the floor, extending his foot into the air. "You are good... to be able to dodge a kick like that. Being able to predict your opponent's moves doesn't do any good if you can't move at your opponent's level, after all."

"That's enough, Lee!" The voice came from a large turtle who had suddenly appeared by the wall.

Lee got up from the floor, and seemed embarrassed. "So, you were watching..."

The turtle growled. "You were going to use _that_ technique, weren't you! You know it's forbidden!"

Lee shook his head. "I... I'm sorry, I just..."

Naruto got up from his spot on the floor. _Who's the turtle?_

Said turtle glared at Lee, who almost fell over in terror. "B-but, I wasn't going to use the other one!"

Naruto walked over to Hinata, as did Sasuke. "Hey, hey, that's a turtle, right?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah..."

Naruto closed his eyes in thought. "I wonder if turtles can become ninja sensei, too?"

"You fool!" Lee closed his eyes as he winced from the force of the turtle's yell. "You think you can get away with an excuse like that? You already know what it means for a shinobi to reveal his special techniques!"

Lee nodded, his eyes still closed. "Hai!"

"Are you prepared to pay?!"

"Hai..."

"Then here comes Gai-sensei!"

A cloud of smoke seemed to explode from the turtle's shell, and when it cleared, a man who looked similar to Lee- only with a standard Konoha combat vest over his jumpsuit- appeared, standing on top of the turtle. His right arm was straight up in the air, while he was using the thumb and on his left hand to form a circle around his left eye. Noticeably, his teeth seemed to shine unnaturally brightly, and his eyebrows seemed to be even thicker than Lee's, whose eyebrows Naruto had considered to be the thickest he had ever seen. "Geez, you guys are the epitome of youth!"

Team 7 merely stared at him. Gai spoke up and broke the silence. "Lee?"

Lee turned to his sensei. "Yes?"

"YOU FOOL!" Gai seemed to punch Lee as hard as he could in the face, sending him flying, earning shocked looks from Team 7. As Lee got up, Gai kneeled next to him, crying. "You are... you are..."

Lee began crying as well. "Sensei... I... I..."

Gai hugged Lee. "That's enough Lee, you don't need to say it."

"Sensei!"

Sasuke twitched. "I almost lost... to him?"

Gai sobbed."Yes, this is what youth is all about!"

"Sensei!!"

"It's alright, Lee, youth and mistakes... they go together."

"You are too kind, sensei..."

"However, you did start a fight, and you almost broke my rules, so... your punishment, which will have to wait for after the exam, will be... 500 laps around the practice range!"

"HAI!"

Team 7 could only stare. Gai seemed to notice them for the first time. "Oh! You're Kakashi's students, aren't you? How's he been?"

Hinata spoke up for the first time in a while. "Kakashi-sensei? You know him?"

Gai smirked. "Know him?" Sasuke blinked, and froze. Gai had disappeared in the time it had taken him to blink. They heard him behind them. "People refer to us as 'Eternal Rivals'..." All three members of Team 7 turned aroun, shocked by his speed. "Fifty wind, fourty-nine losses... I'm stronger than Kakashi."

Naruto gulped. "Well, you're definitely the faster..."

Sasuke growled. _Is this guy even human?!_

Lee pumped his fist. "See?! Gai-sensei is incredible!!"

Gai gave them a thumbs-up. "Sorry about Lee, I swear to this face that it will never happen again... I swear to this beautiful face..."

Sasuke swore in his mind. _Above Kakashi... it's true..._

Gai chuckled. "Anyways, you guys should head for the exam room. Good luck, Lee!" In an instant, both he and the turtle disappeared.

Lee shook his head. "Sasuke... to tell you the truth. I lied befor, I am not the strongest Genin. The strongest... is Neji. I entered this exam to defeat him, but now you're one of my targets, too."

As Lee jumped up back to the balcony, Sasuke began shaking. Hinata turned to Naruto. "Are you okay, Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head. "I'm fine, but... how about you, Sasuke? I didn't see that fight, so..."

Sasuke shook his head, as well. "It's a good thing that fight ended where it did... I need to go through more training before I take on a guy that level..."

Naruto nodded. "We all do... but, in the meantime, how about we take these Chunin Exams? We're not gonna let someone like him scare us off! Who's with me?"

Sasuke smirked. "Who elected you team leader? But... yeah. I'm actually feeling pumped up for these."

Naruto turned to Hinata. "And you?"

Hinata smiled. "I already told myself I was gonna go through with this... nothing's going to stop me from going through these exams with you two."

Naruto grinned. "Aright then... let's go!"

--

As they approached the real room 301, they were surprised to find their sensei standing in front of the door. "Ah... so Hinata came along after all. Good, so now you guys can properly take the exam."

Hinata didn't like his tone of voice. "Properly? What do you mean?"

Kakashi sighed. "I mean... that this exam can only be taken by teams of three. If any one of you hadn't shown up, the others couldn't take the exam."

Naruto growled. "So you told us a lie to see if one of us would back out... well, guess what? We didn't!"

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Nope, you didn't. I'm proud of you guys. Now, go!"

Naruto grinned as he pushed open the door as he walked past Kakashi. "Yeah! Let's go!"

* * *

**Kasek: **Cutting it short here, just to taunt you with the reunion of the Rookie Nine. Also, yeah, I decided that if Sasuke vowed he wasn't going to lose, he wasn't going to lose to Lee, either.


	17. Chapter 17

**Kasek: **I honestly don't have much to say right now.

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor One Piece**

**Chapter 17: The Pressure Is On! The Start of the Chunin Exams!**

As they stepped into the room, they were surprised by the sheer number of shinobi that were in the room. Naruto whistled. "They say that, to hide a tree, use a forest... you wouldn't have much trouble hiding a ninja in here." Hinata gulped and nodded. She wasn't having second thoughts, but she was still intimidated by the sheer number of shinobi.

Sasuke sighed as he felt someone sneak behind him. Suddenly, two arms wrapped around his neck as a long-haired blond girl dressed in skimpy purple clothes, and bandages underneath that to preserve some level of modesty, pressed against his back. "Why, Sasuke, you're late! I was afraid you weren't going to come, but I knew you would!"

Sasuke growled. "Hello... Ino."

Another voice interrupted their 'reunion'. "Get off of him, Ino-pig!"

Ino looked surprised at her pink-haired rival's appearance as she let go of Sasuke. She was wearing a small red shirt with white outlines that didn't entirely cover her belly, and green shorts to go with it. Most surprisingly of all, her hair was cut to right below her ears. "Sakura? Is that you? I never thought that you of all people would cut your hair..."

Sakura smirked as she ran a hand through it. "I objected at first, but Kiba insisted it would help me with being a shinobi... and you know what, it has. I spend a lot less time worrying about my hair now, and more time training. Hey, Sasuke, this new look suits me, right?"

Sasuke looked her up and down. "...I guess so. I'm not an expert on looks or anything, but you look better now."

Sakura nearly squealed in delight. "Ha! Take that, Ino-pig!"

Naruto snorted. "Ino... what kind of guy names his daughter Ino?"

Ino seemed to grow to monstrous proportions, standing over Naruto. "**What was that about my name?**"

Naruto shrunk. "N-nothing..."

Ino resumed to normal size, though to everyone else she had never changed shape- an illusion created by her rage, perhaps? "Good. So, you're that mystery teammate of Sasuke's, hmm? What's your name?"

Naruto gave a nervous smile. "My name's Uzumaki Naruto."

Ino put her hand to her chin in thought. "Uzumaki... where have I heard that name before...?"

Sakura's eyes widened as a light seemed to go on in her head. "Hey, I remember seeing you before now... you're the Hokage's apprentice, right? I remember you hanging out with him a few years back..."

Ino looked at Naruto closely. "Now that you mention it, you're right..."

Naruto grew nervous as the entire crowd seemed to shift their focus to him. "Well, uh..."

Kiba walked over, Akamaru on top of his head, Shino behind him. "The Hokage's apprentice? _That's_ the identity of this stupid fox-boy? Feh. He looks like a weakling."

Naruto growled. "Watch what you say, er... dog-boy! I'm a lot stronger than I look."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Kiba. _What the heck? Does Kiba know about Naruto's powers...?_ "Fox-boy? How'd he earn that name?" 

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "Well, he looks like one, kind of. And he certainly smells like one, too. P-U!"

Naruto pinched his nose. "You're no winner yourself, dog-breath!"

A new voice called out to them. "Hey, you guys. You should be more quiet." They all turned, and saw that it was a teenager with his silver hair in a ponytail. His hitai-ate stated that he was from Konohagakure, as well. "You guys are the rookies who are here practically straight from the Academy, right? Geez, you're acting like school girls... this isn't a picnic."

Ino frowned. "And who do you think you are, anyhow?"

The boy smiled. "I'm Yakushi Kabuto... but more importantly than that, you guys should notice what's going on with the rest of the room..."

They turned, and sure enough, a few ninja were glaring at them. Their hitai-ate said that they were from Amegakure. "Those guys behind you are from Amegakure... they have short tempers. Everyone is nervous about these exams, so quiet down before you make a scene." He sighed. "Well... you guys _are _clueless rookies. I can't help but be reminded of my old self."

Sakura frowned. "Kabuto, right?" He nodded. "Is this your second time, then?"

Kabuto shook his head. "Seventh, actually. These exams are held twice a year, so this is my fourth year."

Sakura smiled. "So, then, you must know a lot about these exams."

He nodded. "That's right." He reached into his waist-pouch and pulled out a deck of cards. "Why don't I show some of it with you rookies, then... with my ninja info cards."

Hinata spoke what appeared in everybody's minds. "Ninja info cards?"

Kabuto nodded. "Yes. They are cards that have info burned onto them with chakra." He removed a card from the deck and placed it on the ground face-up for all to see- it was blank. "I just have to apply my chakra like so, and..." His finger glowed yellow for a moment as it touched the card, and suddenly it wasn't so blank anymore. It was both a map and a chart. Ino raised an eyebrow. "And just what does this tell us?"

Kabuto smiled, his glasses shining. "It shows how many people are taking these exams and where they're from" Naruto took a closer look at it- there were thirty shinobi from Sunagakure, twenty-one from Amegakure, six from both Kusagakure and Takgakure, three from Otogakure, and a whopping eighty-seven from Konohagakure.

Sasuke looked at the deck of cards thoughtfully. "Do you have info on individuals?"

Kabuto smirked. "Who do you want to know?"

Sasuke sighed. "I want... Rock Lee of Konoha."

Naruto snorted. "Don't forget Gaara of Suna, too."

Kabuto took two cards from his deck. "You even know their names... you're making it too easy for me." He first showed them Lee's card. "This guy's a year older than you guys...He's completed twenty D-rank missions and twelve C-rank. His sensei is Gai. His taijutsu has improved a lot in the last year, but his other skills are poor. His teammates are Tenten and Hyuuga Neji. Like you guys, this is his first time taking the exams."

He then showed them Gaara's card. "Sabaku no Gaara. Eight C-ranks and one B-rank... that's impressive. I don't have much info, him being a first-time foreigner, but... it seems that he returned from all of his missions without a scratch."

Naruto grinned. "Without a scratch, huh? We'll see how invincible he is..."

Kiba smirked. "Hey, I want Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha."

Kabuto raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you say so..." He took out another card, and Naruto's info appeare on it. "Uzumaki Naruto. Seven D-ranks and one C-rank... his basic skills are all top-notch, and I hear he's delving into swordsmanship. Also, it seems he has some strange powers... he's taken out two Chuunin-level ninja and a Jonin-level ninja all by himself."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Where... did you..."

Kabuto's eyes narrowed as he smirked. "It's surprising what you can find out when you look around..."

Kiba whistled. "A Jonin, eh? Now there's a challenge!"

Shino lowered his head. "Be careful, Kiba... There's a lot more to him than appears. My bugs won't even go near him..."

Kiba froze, and began trembling. "Heh... is that so? I can't wait..."

Ino scooted a little closer to Naruto. "Wow, you're pretty strong, huh?"

Sasuke smirked. "Last I checked, even stronger than me."

Sakura and Ino stood shocked. Sakura growled. "That can't be right..."

Sasuke smiled. "Well... don't believe me if you don't want to... we haven't sparred in a while..."

Kabuto sighed."Well... it just goes to show you. Konoha, Suna, Ame, Taki, Oto... many outstanding Genin have come from these villages to take the exams. Well, Oto was created last year, so I don't know about them, but the rest of the villages are filled with talented youngsters."

Sakura snorted. "So, basically, we should just assume that everyone here is super strong, right?"

Kabuto smirked at her. "You pick things up rather quickly. That's right, everyone here is among the elite from the various countries, like Lee and Gaara. This isn't going to be easy."

--

Kakashi still stood outside the door, deep in thought. He remembered what had happened after he had told Iruka off.

Gai had frowned at him, and started taking Iruka's side. "This isn't so easy... you're rushing into things. Iruka's right. My team waited a year to gain greater abilities."

Kakashi closed his one eye. "Pft. They may not be perfect, but they'll leave your team in the dust."

Hiruzen growled. "That's enough. It's time for the non-rookie teams to be nominated."

Kakashi smirked under his mask. "Well, don't complain afterwards."

The present time Kakashi frowned. _I may have said that, but... even those guys might be shaking in their boots by now._

_--_

Naruto had begun to shake. Hinata looked at him nervously. "Na-Naruto... are you alright? You're shaking..."

Naruto grinned. "Sorry, Hinata... it's just... I can't wait to bring each and every one of them to their knees..." He stopped shaking, took a deep breath, and began shouting. "You hear that?! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm gonna be the one to come out on top!"

Hinata paled when everyone in the room glared at them. "Na-Naruto!"

Kankuro looked through the crowd and saw who was being so noisy. "Hey, it's that blond boy from the other day." Gaara nodded, but didn't say anything.

Neji smirked. "He's very spirited, I'll give him that... it looks like you didn't beat him down hard enough, Lee."

Tenten smiled. "Just what I'd expect from a wielder of such a great sword..."

Lee eyed her suspiciously. "What does his sword have to do with anything?"

Tenten crossed her arms in a huff. "Well, it's not like you taijutsu specialists would ever understand the heart of a weapons mistress like me..."

Lee gave her a blank stare. "Your... heart?"

The mummy-boy from Oto seemed to sneer under his bandages. "Were you listening to their conversation? He doesn't know much about Oto... how about we inform him... that we can be quite... vicious."

Sakura took two steps back from Naruto. "It was nice knowing you..."

Shikamaru grumbled under his breath. "So, he's nothing but a big idiot after all... making everyone in the entire room his enemy..."

Kiba snickered. "You're... gonna come out on top, huh?"

Kabuto shrugged his shoulders. He narrowed his eyes when he heard high-speed movement in the crowd. He glanced in the general direction and saw that it was the three Oto shinobi, trying to move as quickly and silently as possible. Kabuto smirked. _I think I know what they're up to..._

The mummy pulled up his right sleeve, revealing what appeared to be a large gauntlet with several holes in it attached to his right arm. The first to jump out of the crowd was the spiky-haired one with the kanji for death on his shirt, and he threw two kunai at Kabuto, causing him to jump back a little. Immediately, the mummy boy leaped out at him, and punched at him, with the apparent intent to hit him in the face. Kabuto leaned back and avoided it, but his glasses lenses shattered into pieces

Ino was surprised. "Huh? Didn't he dodge?"

Shikamaru frowned. "It probably glanced his nose... serves him right for acting like such a big shot."

Kabuto smirked as he took off his glasses. _So, it was that kind of an attack..._ He suddenly doubled over and vomited, causing everyone to reevaluate the situation. The mummy again seemed to sneer as his teammates stood behind him, even though his left eye was the only visible part of his face. "Remember this and put it in your data... Dosu, Zaku, and Kin of Oto... are definite future Chunins."

Hinata and Naruto kneeled next to Kabuto. Hinata seemed the most worried. "A-Are you all right?"

Kabuto shook his head. "I'm... I'm fine."

Dosu, the mummy, tilted his head. "How pathetic... especially for a so-called four-year-veteran."

Neji frowned. "Lee, about that attack..."

Lee shook his head. "It's not like it was super fast or anything... there must be a trick."

A large explosion of smoke by one of the walls caught everyone's attention. "Quiet down, you little brats!" The smoke cleared, revealing a very large group of shinobi in what appeared to be military uniforms, among them the to shinobi who had been blocking the fake room 301. Their leader was a man wearing a trench coat over his own uniform. He had two scars on his face- one on his right cheek, and one that ran from above his left eye to his chin, running through his mouth. If he had any hair, it was covered by his bandana. "Thanks for waiting... I am Morino Ibiki, the examiner for this first exam."

He lifted a finger, and pointed it towards Dosu. "You three, Otogakure shinobi. Stop doing as you please, do you want to fail already?"

Dosu bowed his head. "We apologize. It's our first time, and we got carried away."

Ibiki's lip curled up in one corner. "Bah... this would be a good time to say it. There will be _no_ fighting without the permission of the examiner. At the same time, killing is prohibited unless otherwise stated. Anyone who disobeys me will be failed immediately... _got it?_"

Zaku, the spiky-haired Otonin, smirked. "Geez, it sounds easy already..."

Ibiki resumed an emotionless face. "We will now start the first test of the Chunin Selection Exams. Instead of your current seating arrangements, you'll each be assigned a number and have to sit in your assigned seats. After that, we'll hand out the papers and writing utensils you'll need."

Naruto smirked. "A paper test? This'll be too easy..."

--

Naruto sighed as he sat in his seat, staring at the back of the piece of paper in front of him. _I know I said it would be easy, but to be honest... I'm not too good with the exacts of math..._ He was taken out of his self-centering when he was tapped on his shoulder. Looking to his right, he saw it was Tenten. "Hey, Naruto. Fancy meeting you here."

Nartuo gave a nervous smile. "H-hey, Tenten..."

Ibiki remained turned to the crowd as he began writing on the chalkboard. "I assume you know not to turn your tests over yet. Listen closely to what I'm about to say. There are important rules to this exam. I'll write it on the chalkboard while I explain, but questions will not be allowed, so listen carefully.

"This test uses a subtraction system, and starts out at ten points. So say you miss three questions, you'll lose three points and have seven total. Second rule, this is a team test. Whether or not you pass will be determined by the combined score of your teammates. So, each team will compete to see who can hold onto as many of their thirty points as possible. The third... and most important rule... is that anyone caught by the testing officers performing suspicious activities, like, say, cheating... will have two points subtracted for every offense."

One of the officers chuckled. "We'll have our eyes on you guys..."

Ibiki smirked. "Anyone pathetic enough to get caught will be destroying themselves... as shinobi trying to become Chunin... be proud shinobi."

He continued on. "The final rule... is that anyone who loses all of their points, whether through being caught or through answering all of the questions wrong... their whole team will be disqualified."

Naruto gulped. _Well, here's to hoping that there's at least one question I can answer... _

"The test lasts one hour. ...BEGIN!"

Naruto turned his test over. _Okay let's see, let's see... first question is a cryptogram... ...kind of hard... I'll come back to it later._

Hinata glanced at Naruto from afar. _Naruto said it was going to be easy for him, but I still have my doubts... this requires book smarts and experience, and Naruto only has 'experience'..._

Sasuke tapped his pencil against his desk. _I remember him saying once that he wasn't good with tests like this, and that was why he was glad he never had to go to the Academy... Naruto, if you fail us, I am never going to forgive you. At least, not for a very, very long time..._

Naruto gulped. _Okay, okay, question number two... "Line B, as seen in the picture, is the greatest distance a shinobi can throw a shuriken from a tree of seven meters. For enemies who appear within the circumference of the shuriken's range, explain the attack options using this distance. Show your work." ...who the heck __**can**__ answer this question? I'll move on to the next... they're bound to give you at least one easy question..._

Sasuke smirked as he read all of the questions. _It's... impossible. All of these questions are beyond the capabilities of the average ninja to answer... but what's with question ten? "This question will be revealed forty-five minutes into the test."_

Naruto paled. _I... I can't.. I can't answer a single one of these questions... what should I do??_

Sasuke glared at the officials lining the room. _Those guys... they're assuming that we're going to cheat..._

Hinata gulped. _If we're going to be ranked, just how many teams are going to make it through...?_

The Genin next to her stood up. "Um... I'd like to know one thing. How many teams are passing this test?"

Ibiki frowned. "It's not like knowing will help you... or do you want to be disqualified?"

The boy quickly sat back down. "Sorry..."

Hinata nervously looked at her paper. _At this rate, I'll have to cheat to get points... well, if I only lose two points, if I get more than that... oh, I hope Naruto doesn't find out I cheated..._

Sasuke looked back at the officials. _They must be making checks on those sheets... looks lke someone just got caught._ He remembered back to what Ibiki had said earlier. The most important rule- that anyone caught cheating would lose two points. _If that's the case, then cheating without getting caught... is perfectly fine. Well, getting caught is okay, too, if you get three or more points from it... I sure hope the others notice that this is a test to see how well we can gather information._

Naruto slowly smirked to himself. _Okay then... I guess I'll just slowly... cheat without getting caught. __Yeah, that's what I'll do... after all, a shinobi is supposed to be a master of gathering information, cheating is just... another way of doing that. Yeah, yeah... oh, I hope Hinata never finds out I did this..._

Hinata nervously looked at her paper. _At this rate, I'll have to cheat to get points... well, if I only lose two points, if I get more than that... oh, I hope Naruto doesn't find out I cheated..._

_--_

Gaara glared at Kankuro. Kankuro was tempted to growl. _I know, I know, geez. I'm not stupid._ Gaara held out his hand, and what looked like sand began gathering in it. _Looks like Gaara's getting started... I'm counting on you, Karasu..._

Akamaru quietly barked to his master. Kiba smirked and whispered back. "Good boy, Akamaru! Tell me the next one!"

Shino watched as a small bug flew in a figure-eight pattern over his paper. "So, the answer is eight..."

Naruto couldn't help but notice that Tenten seemed to be holding a string. He didn't want to attract attention, so he didn't look where it went. If he had, he would've noticed a set of mirrors placed in one of the holes where a light was, one of them reflecting the answers off of one paper. Lee tied his hitai-ate around his forehead, signifying to Tenten that he could see it.

Dosu closed his eye and concenrated. _Let's see... from the rhythm, stroke order, amount of strokes... oh, I see, that's the answer..._

Neji closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, the veins around his eyes bulged, a sure sign that he was using the Hyuuga's signature Byakugan. Using it, he was able to see right through his fellow Genin, and read the answers off of their papers. Hinata had beun cheating using the exact same method.

Sasuke was using his own unique eyes- his Sharingan allowed him to copy the movements of another one of the exam-takers, allowing him to write their answers as his own.

In the meantime, Naruto was still figuring out how to cheat without getting caught. _Oh, what do I do, what do I do? I'm almost out of time!_ His attention was grabbed by a kunai that sailed right by his face and landed straight in the middle of the paper of the guy behind him, scaring him half to death. "Hey! What was that for?!" 

The spiky-haired official with a nose bandage was standing up. "You messed up five times... you fail. The two on his team, get out of here..."

As they left, Naruto gulped. _Maybe I won't cheat after all... these guys are good._

Tenten frowned when she glanced at Naruto's paper. I was completely empty. She whispered to him as quietly as possible. "Naruto! If you don't cheat, you'll end up disqualifying yourself!"

Naruto was surprised. "I don't see why you care, but... I guess... I just feel like going through this on guts. That, and I don't think I have the skills to do that right now..."

Tenten nodded to herself, and when Naruto looked away from her, she smiled. _Plowing on through __with guts, huh?That's... actually kind of admirable._

Naruto circled question number ten. _Alright, I'll put all of my hopes on this... Hinata, Sasuke, forgive me if I mess his up for you guys..._

Sakura sighed as she put her pencil down. _Looks like I didn't need to cheat after all..._

Sasuke felt like patting himself on the back. _I was going to copy a few more people, but... it looks like I've hit the jackpot with this guy._

Ino smirked when she noticed Sakura was done. _Alright, time to put that big brain of yours to use, Sakura._ _Be thankful... making you the target of my jutsu means I acknowledge that that big forehead of yours has some use..._

Shikamaru glaed at Ino as she began sleeping on the table. _She must have started that jutsu... about time._

Choji gulped. _That's one jutsu... that you can't resist._

'Sakura' smirked as Ino's mind possessed Sakura's body. _Hope you don't mind if I borrow your body for a bit Sakura... let's look at these answers. I have less than three minutes to memorize them... and then possess Shikamaru and Choji and give them the answers._

"Number one-oh-two, you fail." Said Konoha nin swore as he and his two teammates got up and left. "Number twenty-three, you fail." This ninja protested as he was carried from the room. "Forty-three and twenty-seven, you fail."

Kabuto grit his teeth _So far, that's thirteen teams out of fifty-one that have been eliminated. _A Suna-nin stood up. "Do you have proof that I've cheated five times? How do we know you're really even watching us?"

A shinobi whose entire upper half of his head was bandaged, his hitai-ate covering his bandaged eyes, appeared in front of him and grabbed the Genin by his shirt and lifted him into the air. "Listen... among Chunin, we are the elite, assembled to watch over this exam. We haven't missed a thing. You could say that this strength is our proof."

As he, too, was thrown out, Ibiki glanced at Gaara, who had his left hand open on is desk, and his right hand in a chakra-gathering seal. _What's that kid up to...?_ Gaara touched his right fingers to his left eye, and another eye composed of sand appeared in his left hand, hidden from Ibiki's view. _Completely calm... impressive. _Gaara crushed the eye, scattering it back to sand particles, which began drifting through the air. Some of the sand got into a shinobi's eyes, and as he rubbed them, the eye formed over his paper, and quickly ran over the answers, Gaara writing them down as quickly as he could.

Kankuro raised his hand. "Excuse me... bathroom?"

One of the Chunin placed a pair of handcuffs around his wrist, attached to rope that the Chunin held in his hand. "We have to follow you to the bathroom."

--

Once in the bathroom, Kankuro smirked. "Those testing officers aren't so impressive... they didn't even notice that there was an extra one of them... right, Karasu?" Cracks began running through the officer's face, pieces of his skin falling off, as he nodded. "Alright then, start from the top, I want those answers as soon as possible."

--

Ibiki smirked. _Looks like we've gotten rid of the trash... and it's about that time, too... time to get on with the main event._ "Alright, it's time for the tenth question."

Naruto gripped his pencil. _Alright... here we go. It's all or nothing. My only chance to get a question right._

Temari grit her teeth. _Kankuro, you took too long! You were supposed to give me the answers before the tenth question!_

Ibiki examined the room carefully. "But, before we get to it... I'll go over the added rules for the tenth question." There was a collective gulp among many of the Genin. Kankuro returned from the bathroom, and Ibiki smirked. "Oh, nice timing. I hope you enjoyed playing with your doll..."

Kankuro narrowed his eyes. _Darn it! He saw through Karasu!_ As Kankuro walked past Temari, he dropped her a piece of paper with all of the answers on it.

Ibiki resumed speaking. "I'll now explain... these rules of desperation..."

**Kasek:** I wanted to go through this exam in one go, but that's a no-go. I have a strong desire to stop it here before we get to the tenth question

Some of you may have noticed, but Tenten seems to like Naruto now. I honestly don't know how it happened, it just kind of did. I think I'll exploit it for laughs, though (I kind of already have, depending on your sense of humor).


	18. Chapter 18

**Kasek: **Sorry to say, but this chapter doesn't really throw any curveballs. I gotta work on giving more of those.

Also, some people kind of got upset that Naruto didn't cheat. I kind of wanted it to happen myself, so here's an omake that shows what would've happened if he had tried. You can take this as canon to the story if you want.

Omake: If Naruto had tried to cheat

Naruto raised his hands into the seal for Kage Bunshin. A small poof of smoke appeared under the desk, and one Fennic fox stood at his feet. The fox quickly went to work, dashing in and out between the feet of the many Genin, trying to hide from the Chunin officials. Eventually, he found what he was looking for- a certain pair of legs.

Hinata almost squeaked when she saw what had jumped into her lap- Naruto in his fox form. She quickly leaned forward and covered both sides of him with her arms as he looked onto the paper and quickly memorized all of the answers she had copied from another Genin. As soon as he was done, he disappeared, allowing Hinata to go back to a more normal position.

As soon as the clone disappeared, Naruto blushed- sure, he had all the information he wanted, but a little extra had been transferred- the feeling of Hinata's chest pressed against him. He shook his head. _No, no, no! Don't think about that! Concentrate on the test, the test! Alright, question one... ... ...darn it, I forgot! Stupid, stupid perverted clone..._

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor One Piece**

**Chapter 18: The Importance of Information**

Kakashi sighed as he sat in the Jonin break room with Kurenai and Asuma. "Well, it sure is boring without my team. Missions are going to have to wait for a while..."

Asuma leaned back in his chair as he smoked his cigarette. "Don't worry, you'll be seeing them again soon."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "And why do you say that?"

Asuma frowned. "I heard that the examiner for the first exam is Morino Ibiki."

Kakashi lowered his head. "Not that sadist..." _Passing just got more difficult..._

Kurenai was curious. "Sadist?"

Asuma nodded. "Well, you're a new Jonin, so you wouldn't know, but..." He paused, and exhaled some smoke.

Kureni narrowed her eyes. "Who is he?"

"A pro."

"At what?" 

"Torture and interrogation. He's the captain of the ANBU Torture and Interrogation Unit. While they may not be experiencing physical torture... those kids are bound to be going through mental torture."

--

Naruto gulped. _Rules of desperation...?_

Ibiki's eyes narrowed. "First of, you must decide whether or not to take the tenth question."

Temari seemed very anxious. "Choose?! What happens if we don't take it?!"

Ibiki glared at her. "If you choose not to... your points will be reduced to zero and you will fail, you and your team."

Two more ninja started yelling. "What does that mean?" "Then of course we'll take the tenth question!"

Ibiki ignored them. "And now, the other rule... if you choose to take it, and answer incorrectly... you will never be allowed to take the Chunin Selection Exams ever again."

Kiba slammed his hand on his desk, and used his other hand to point at Ibiki. "What kind of stupid rule is that?! There are people here who have taken this exam before!"

Ibiki chuckled, causing many to begin sweating. "You guys were unlucky... this year we play by my rules. But, I am giving you a way out here... those not confident enough to take it... can choose not to, and try again next time."

Sakura grit her teeth. _You can either give up and fail your whole team... or take the tenth question, which, if you fail, you'll be a Genin forever. How awful!_

Ibiki frowned. "Those that do not wish to take it... raise your hands."

Sasuke looked at Naruto. _Me and Hinata can just cheat and get on with it... but Naruto... he hasn't written a single answer down. He doesn't have any tricks up his sleeves for this kind of situation. This is bad... we'll probably have to quit, none of us want Naruto to lose his chance to become a Chunin._

The Konoha Genin next to Naruto raised his hand. "I.. won't take it... I'm sorry, Gennai, Inoho..."

One of the officials nodded. "Number fifty, fail! One-thirty, one-eleven, you also fail!"

More ninja raised their hands. "Me too!" "And me!" "I quit." "Me too..."

Sasuke gripped his pencil tightly. _Isn't he going to quit? Or... is he really going to go through with this?_

--

Asume took another puff of his cigarette. "That Ibiki... completely knows the human mind. That's what makes him so scary. By attacking their mind, he can gain control over their spirit. That person's weaknesses float to the surface... You can't escape it."

--

Sasuke, Hinata, and Tenten were all shocked to see Naruto raise his hand. However, he slammed it back onto his desk. "I don't know about the rest of you guys... but I will not run! This exam is my chance to further my career... to become stronger! And I am not going to let some stupid question on a _paper exam_ stop me from achieving my dreams... because, I want to become Hokage some day. If I let this kind of thing intimidate me... I could never call myself a shinobi ever again...!"

Sasuke smirked. _What guts... he knows that he's in big trouble, but he doesn't back down..._

Hinata smiled. _That's Naruto for you..._

Tenten stared at him. _Wow... even though he refused to cheat, he still wants to take this last question..._

Ibiki didn't so much as bat an eyelid. "I'll ask you again. This is a life-changing decision. This is your last chance to back out."

Naruto grinned. "What kind of person would I be... if I gave a great speech like that, and didn't follow through with it? I'm going to do what I say... that's my ninja way."

Nearly everyone in the room seemed to have a boost in their moods. Ibiki looked around the room. _Nearly everyone's smiling... he blasted away their worries, just like that. After all the trouble I went through... maybe he's worthy of his dream... looks like there are twenty-six teams left... much more than I expected... stretching this any longer won't do any good._ He looked at his officials, who all nodded as his eyes passed over them. Ibiki smirked. "I like you, kid... to the seventy-eight Genin still remaining, I have just one thing to say... congratulations on passing my exam."

Naruto was dumbfounded. _I... I pass?_

Sakura shook her head. "Wait, that's it? We already pass? There is no tenth question?"

Ibiki grinned. "There was no tenth question! If you want to, you can say that that choice you all made... that was the tenth question."

Temari grit her teeth. "So, what was the point to the other nine questions?"

Ibiki remained grinning. "To test your information gathering abilities, of course! I'm sure you all noticed that it's next to impossible to answer these all on your own, so I scattered a couple of Chunin who knew all the answers into the crowd. The whole premise of the test was to cheat!"

Naruto sighed, and whispered to Tenten. "I knew that much, but I didn't have any tricks to cheat without getting caught..." Tenten giggled at what she thought was a joke.

Ibiki continued. "Those that cheat poorly... fail." He removed his bandana, and a collective gasp of horror washed through the Genin. Sasuke felt ready to gag. _Scars, burns, screw holes... what kind of torture has this guy been through?_ "Information can be more important than lives. On missions, on the battlefield... people risk their lives to get that information."

Dosu smirked under his bandages. _I bet it's worse under the gloves... of course, I'd never make the mistake of getting caught._

Ibiki retied his bandana. "If the enemy or a third-party notices you, there will be no guarantee that the information is accurate. I want you to remember this... information in your hands canbe a powerful weapon for your comrades, and for your village... so we had you cheat to get some. This seperated those who didn't have the right abilities."

Temari stared at him. "But... I still don't get the last question..."

Ibiki smiled. "Question ten... is the true purpose of this test. Let me explain... to take it or not take it... if you don't take it, you fail, but can try again later... if you do take it, and still fail, you'll be a failure for the rest of your life... taking the question was a true leap of faith.

"Let me explain it this way... say you're a Chunin. Your mission is to steal a secret document. The amount of enemies and what they can do is an x-factor. And, of course, there could be traps everywhere. Do you accept the mission, or not? Because you don't want to die... because you don't want your comrades to get hurt... do you not take the mission? The answer is... no!"

Naruto smiled as Ibiki continued. "You can't just say 'no' to every mission that is given to you... the ability to be courageous, to survive hardships... that is what is required of a Chunin captain. Those who can't put their destinies on the line... who cling to the uncertain future of "There's always next year"... and then walk away from their chance... Those pieces of trash who can only make such cowardly decisions... they don't have the right to become Chunin! That's my belief.

"Those who chose to take it... answered the tenth question correctly. You ought to be able to survive any troubles that come your way in the future. ...I declare the first section of the Chunin Selection Exams to be over! I wish you all luck in the future."

Just as he finished his speech, and just as some of the Genin began to cheer, a large, whirling black ball of cloth came in through the window, causing the glass shards to scatter everywhere. The corners of the cloth were pinned to the ceiling by kunai, and as it unfurled to reveal a banner that said "The examiner of the second exam- Mitarashi Anko!", it also revealed a woman standing in the middle of it. She was wearing a tan trench coat over a fishnet shirt and shorts, a small skirt on top of that. "You guys, this is no time to be celebrating... after all, it's time for the second exam!"

Naruto stared at this woman. _Who the heck does this woman think she is?!_

Ibiki came out from behind the banner. "You've got very bad timing, Anko..."

Anko growled. "Don't talk to me like that... you left seventy-eight Genin here. That's twenty-six teams! You went too easy on them!"

Ibiki smiled. "Well, that just means that we have a good crop this time..."

Anko's frown did not leave her face. "Bah... be that way. I'll cut them in half with my exam."

Naruto gulped. _In half? Wait... there were one-hundred-fifty-three Genin, so seventy-eight is about half of that... so cutting us in half again isn't really that bad..._

Anko began smirking, sending shivers down the spine of many a Genin. "Ahh... I'm getting excited. I'll explain everything once we change places."

--

After the room was emptied, Ibiki began collecting papers. He was surprised when he came across Naruto's paper. _Uzumaki Naruto... this is the one who gave that speech... he didn't have any answers down._ He looked at question number ten. It was circled, and there were some words written by it. "'Don't have the skills to cheat, don't have the brains to do it on my own... I place all of my hopes in this tenth question. I hope I will be forgiven if I fail.' He got through with a blank test? ...what an interesting guy... "

--

The large group of Genin now stood outside a very large forest, with the largest tress many of them had ever seen. It was surrounded by a fence as tall as eight people, which didn't even begin to reach the top o the trees. The sign on the gate warned 'Danger, stay out!', and was locked many times over. Anko gave an evil-looking smile as she greeted them. "Welcome to the arena for the second exam... practice arena forty-four. Or, as we like to call it... the Forest of Death."

Naruto looked up and tried to see the tops of the trees. As he did so, Anko continued. "Of course, you'll soon find out why it's called that."

Naruto huffed. "Geez, you act like that's supposed to scare us or something. Well, guess what? I'm. Not. Scared."

Anko smiled. In an instant, a kunai flew from Anko's hand that had appeare from her trench coat, sliced Naruto's cheek, and landed well behind him, cutting a single long hair off of a Kusa-Genin's head. Anko instantly appeared behind Naruto. "You seem pretty spirited... kids like you get killed straight off... spraying that red blood I love so much." To add emphasis to her statement, she licked Naruto's cheek, licking some blood along with it, completely and totally freaking him out.

She loaded another kunai into her hand when she sensed another presence. Turning, she saw that it was the same Kusa-nin... his extremely long tongue was wrapped around her kunai, and presented it to her. "Here's your kunai..."

Anko smiled stiffly. "Why thank you... but here's a suggestion- unless you want to die, never sneak up on me. _Ever_."

The Kusa-nin tilted his head forward, his face becoming shaded by his large hat. "I'm sorry... I get excited by the sight of blood... that, and you cut some of my precious hair, I couldn't help it..."

Hinata gulped. _Naruto..._

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. _What the heck is wrong with these people?_

Anko grinned as the Kusa-nin walked away. "This should be fun... it looks like we've got some bloodthirsty types in the game this time."

Naruto grumbled as he rubbed his now healing cheek. _You're the bloodthirsty one here..._

Anko began speaking to the group as a whole. "Now, before we start the second exam, there's something I have to hand out..." She pulled out a lot of papers. "I need you guys to sign these. If you don't, and you die, well, it'll all be my fault, and nobody wants that, now, do they?"

Naruto almost growled. _I can come up with at least one person who wouldn't mind..._

"I'm going to explain the second exam, and then you guys can sign these papers and turn them in at the booth over there." She handed all of the papers o Naruto, who took one and passed it on. "Simply put, it's the ultimate survival test. First, the area." She took out a map and showed it to the Genin. "Around practice arena forty-four... are forty-four locked gates. Inside are a tower in the middle of the forest, and a river that goes right through the middle as it runs all the way through the forest. From the gates to the tower is about ten kilometers. During this exam, you need to complete a certain task... using your many weapons and jutsu, you will participate in a no-holds-barred scroll battle."

At least one of the Genin was confused. "Scroll? What do you mean?"

Anko took out two scrolls from her coat and held them up for all to see. "You will fight over these two scrolls- 'Heaven' and 'Earth'. There are twenty-six teams left, so thirteen- half- will get the Heaven scrolls, and the other half will get the Earth scrolls. Your objective... is to make it to the tower with both of the scrolls."

Naruto grit his teeth. _I see she's making good on her promise to cut us in half..._

Anko continued. "But there's a time limit... one-hundred-and-twenty hours... five days exactly."

Ino and Chouji were shocked. "Five days?!" "What about dinner?!"

Anko snorted. "You're on your own. The forest is full of food. Of course, it's also full of man-eating beasts and poisonous bugs and plants..." Choji sulked as she continued. "And thirteen teams passing is unlikely... as the days go on, the harder it becomes... the area will be crawling with enemies, so you probably won't be getting much sleep. So, some will not only fail by losing their scroll... but also from the sheer harshness of the arena.

"Now I'll talk about what will disqualify you. For one, those who don't make it to the tower with both scrolls within the time limit. There's also those that lose a teammate, whether to death or otherwise. Also, there will be _no_ quitting in the middle of the exam. You either make it to the tower, or stick it out the whole five days. One last rule- no peeking in the scrolls until you get to the tower, that'll get you disqualified on the spot."

Naruto was suspicious. How would that work? "What happens if you open them?"

Anko smirked. "That's a surprise... just know that you don't want to. A Chunin will be tasked with classified information- this is to test your trustworthiness. Well, that's it for explanations. Turn in your team's three forms and get a scroll. Then, choose a gate and get ready to start. One last word of advice... don't die."

Sasuke watched as Gaara's team entered the booth. _You can't tell what scroll they have, or who is carrying_ _it... it's like Ibiki said, we're risking our lives to get information... everyone here is an enemy... here will be killing._

Anko smirked as she watched some teams hesitate. _Good, it looks like they understand the meaning of those forms..._

--

Kiba grinned. "Survival's our specialty! Don't forget your training, Sakura."

Sakura smirked at her companion. "You should be more worried about yourself."

--

Shikamaru frowned to his teammates. "Risking our lives... I hate it, but we have to..."

--

Naruto had a completely serious look on his face. "So, got a Heaven scroll, huh? I'll pull out all the stops to make sure we win this exam... I'm not holding back."

Sasuke smiled at Naruto's switch in personality. "Good, we don't need you holding us down."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "What happened to me being better than you?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Only when you go all out. Without your powers, I can beat you no problem."

Hinata shook her head. "It doesn't matter who can beat who... only that we can beat our enemies."

Nauto smirked at her display of rationality. "Hinata's right... we can settle this some other time."

--

Dosu stared intensely at the space in front of him. "It's finally here... the time for us to complete our mission..."

--

Kankuro frowned. _I'm not too worried about the other teams... it's spending five days with Gaara I'm worried about._

--

The strange Kusa-nin from before crouched and whispered to his teammates. "We'll go after the rookies first... we're allowed to kill, so that makes things far easier..."

One of his teammates nodded. "We'll let you know if we find those three..."

--

Lee pumped his fist as he stood in front of his gate. _Gai-sensei, I will do my best!_

--

Anko looked at her watch. All of the teams had made it to their gates. _3... 2... 1..._ "The second stage of the Chunin Exams... starts now!"

**Kasek: **Sorry, I couldn't do much with this chapter, so it looks just like the manga, pretty much. I at least hope you liked the omake. Luckily, I'm going to have free reign over these next two exams. Kukuku...


	19. Chapter 19

**Kasek:** Ah-ha! I finally got to the point where I get to do something totally unexpected! Wait and see ;)

**Disclaimer: I own neither One Piece nor Naruto.**

**Chapter 19: One Big Snake After Another**

Sakura frowned. "Shouldn't we just head straight for the tower and make traps there? It'd be easier on us, that's for sure..."

Three Konoha Genin dressed in all black watched Team 8 as they argued amongst themselves. Kiba growled. "Hey, we've got perfect trap materials right here. I say we stay put until we catch at least one team here."

Shino shook his head. "It appears... we've already been spotted."

One of the three smirked. "Oh, so they know that they're here... but they don't know where we are." He turned to his partner, who didn't look so well. "Hey, what's wrong? You're turning blue." It was then that he noticed what looked to be the world's biggest leech on his partner's neck. "What the-?!" He screamed when he looked up and saw an army of them falling from the sky.

After using several shuriken and kunai to take care of the leeches, the three Genin collapsed onto the ground... which they discovered was covered by a net. As the net snatched them up, Kiba smirked. "See, what did I tell you? Konohagakure jumping leeches. They jump down from above in groups, and if you leave even one sucking for five minutes it'll kill you. Setting traps around the areas they hunt was a great idea."

Sakura frowned. "Fine, fine... let's just hope that they have the right scroll."

--

Anko smirked as she heard screams emanating from the forest. "Ah, so it's truly begun..."

--

Hinata gulped. "Th-that was... a human scream..."

Naruto frowned. "We're probably going to be hearing a lot of those..." He turned to his teammates. "Hey, uh... I gotta, er, 'go'. Be right back." Hinata blushed as he walked into the bushes.

After a moment, Sasuke frowned when he heard what sounded like flesh hitting flesh. "Oi, Naruto, are you alright?"

Naruto came back out another moment later, dragging a ninja that looked exactly like him, except this one was bound and gagged. He let go of the other ninja, and smiled. "Sorry, this guy snuck up on me and tried to tie me up. What should we do with him?"

Sasuke looked back and forth between the two Narutos. "I'm not going to do anything with him. It's you who should be worried about what he's going to do to you."

'Naruto' turned around just in time to see Naruto transform from his fox form into his hybrid form. "Funny thing about ropes... they don't work on me." With another punch, the fake Naruto was sent flying, revealing him to be an Ame-nin wearing a oxygen-mask. Naruto walked over to him checked him. "No scroll... and he's completely unconscious, too. What should we do with him?"

Sasuke sighed. "Just leave him here. If we kill him, his team might get disqualified before anybody gets their scroll. If we leave him alive, he might decide to come after us with his team, and we can grab their scroll then. They must be rather pathetic... this guy didn't even take into account that you don't wear a shuriken holster on your leg."

After they had left him far behind, they crouched down low and began talking. Sasuke spoke up first. "I have an idea... in case we get separated like that again, we need to come up with a password... it must be something that can't be just guessed... and if somebody doesn't know it, or gets it wrong in the slightest, we treat them as an enemy ninja, no matter their appearance."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "A little harsh, but... alright. You agree with this, Hinata?"

Hinata nodded. "I'm ready. Give us the password."

Sasuke nodded. "Listen closely, I only want to say this once. The question will be: When does a ninja strike? And the response is: A ninja waits until the time is right. When the enemy sleeps, and drops his guard. When his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night... that is the moment for a ninja to strike. Got it?"

Hinata nodded. "That's a good password..."

Naruto smirked. "Geez, you could've made it a little shorter... but yeah, I've got it."

The strange Kusa-nin smirked from his hiding place underground. _Good plan..._ As Team 7 got up to go, Naruto felt something cut his right cheek. "Ow! What the-?!" Suddenly, they were enveloped by what felt like hurricane-force winds. As the around them seemed to explode, the Kusa-nin smirked from where he stood, his two partners beside him.

"You guys can go and play around... I'll do this by myself."

Sasuke got out from his cover from under the bushes. He looked to his right, and saw Hinata coming out, as well. He immediately took out a kunai. "Hinata! When does a ninja strike?!"

Hinata stopped in her tracks. "A-A ninja waits until the time is right... When the enemy sleeps, and drops his guard... When his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night... that is the moment for a ninja to strike."

Sasuke nodded. Naruto, too, stepped out of the bushes. Sasuke held up his kunai in a defensive gesture. Naruto grinned. "I know, I know, the password, right? A ninja waits until the time is-" He was interrupted when Sasuke threw his kunai at him.

Hinata assumed an offensive stance. "We know you're a fake... your appearance is off."

'Naruto' smirked as he changed back into the strange Kusa-nin. "Oh? And how was it off?"

Sasuke's lips curled. "Well.. for one, Naruto had already healed the scratch he had gotten on his left cheek by Anko. Second, he got a new scratch on his right cheek that you didn't take into account, either... there should at least still be blood there. Finally... I don't think Naruto is as good at on the spot memorization as he lets on."

The Kusa-nin smiled. "My... looks like this might be interesting after all..."

--

Naruto had been blown clear of the area. He groaned as he got up from the ground. "Ouch... that could've gone better... wonder where Hinata and Sasuke went..." His eyes widened when he felt a shadow on him. Looking up, he saw that it was a giant snake, that could easily swallow him in one gulp. He instantly transformed into his hybrid form, reached into his waist pack, and pulled out a scroll.

The snake lunged at him, and he jumped into the air to avoid it, unraveling the scroll. He placed his hand over it, and in his hands appeared Kubikiri Hocho. Naruto saw the snake's tail come up from behind him, and in a single swing, sliced it right off of the main body. As the snake hissed and reeled in pain, Naruto jumped towards the head, and again, in one swing, lopped it right off. "Sorry, snakey... this fox isn't on the menu!"

--

Hinata gulped as she tried to stare down the enemy ninja. _This guy... gives me the creeps... where are you, Naruto? We need you..._

The ninja took out an Earth scroll. "You guys want this, right?" He tilted his head back and placed the scroll over his mouth. His tongue came out and wrapped around the scroll, and pushed it down his throat. He licked his lips. "Now, let us begin this battle for the scroll... with our lives on the line!" He placed his finger under his eye and pulled down, and Sasuke and Hinata saw that his pupil had become slitted. In an instant, they received slashes and stab wounds all over their body, their blood spurting everywhere, two kunai embedding themselves in their heads... and then it all disappeared.

Sasuke bent over and vomited, while Hinata collapsed to her knees. Sasuke lifted his head to look at his opponent. _What was that?! I thought I had died... I'm so terrified that I can't move... genjutsu? No... it was pure killing intent... that was what caused us to see that... who is this guy?!_

He turned to Hinata. "Hinata, are you alright?"

Hinata nodded. "Y-yeah... I've experienced death before, so... but, I still can't move..."

Sasuke grit his teeth. "This is bad... if we don't get out of here, we'll die for sure..."

The Kusa-nin chuckled darkly. "This is the end for you..." He threw two kunai. Sasuke heard something behind him, and his nerves calmed a bit. A moment later, the kunai were deflected by Naruto and his sword.

Naruto growled. "You guys! Why are you just sitting there?"

Sasuke slowly got up, as did Hinata. Sasuke smirked. "Bah... Why do I need to answer that kind of question..."

The Kusa-nin looked mildly surprised. "Oh, a Zoan... to think I'd find one all the way out here... this is a surprise..."

Naruto's eyes widened. "You know about the Akuma no Mi...?"

The Kusa-nin chuckled. "Know about them...? There is little about them that I do not know, boy... for instance, that is the power of the Inu Inu no Mi: Model Kitsune, right? That fruit was stolen from me, long ago..."

Naruto took a step back. "Stolen from... you? Then that makes you... Orochimaru... how did you get in this exam...?"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Oh, dear, I've been found out... I should choose my words more carefully... ah, well. If you must know, I stole this face to get in here..."

--

"This is horrible... three dead bodies... what do you think, Kotetsu?"

Kotetsu, the spiky-haired Chunin who had once guarded door 201, shook his head. "Definitely a jutsu, Izumo..."

A third Chunin, wearing glasses, nodded. "I'll go alert Anko."

--

Anko grinned as she sipped her juice. "Ah... nothing better than juice and dango. Once I'm done eating, I'll head over to the tower. The fast ones should only need twenty-four hours." She bit the last piece of dango off of the stick and threw it at a nearby tree, where a bunch of them were sticking out of the wood in the shape of Konoha's symbol that was on every Konoha-nin's hitai-ate. "Mark of Konoha complete, hehe."

The Chunin with glasses appeared in front of her. "Anko-sama! There's an emergency!"

Anko frowned. "Emergency? What is it?" 

The man seemed panicked. "Bodies, three of them!"

Anko shook her head. "Hello? This is the Forest of Death here. Why is this abnormal?"

The man cleared his throat. "Well... these three are outside of the forest... also, there's something about them that you'll want to see."

--

Anko shuddered as she looked at the three corpses. The glasses man explained the situation. "These three are from Kusagakure... as you can see, their faces are blank. Almost as if... they were melted off."

Anko shook her head. _There's no mistaking it... this is __**his**__ jutsu... why is he here? _"Show me their pictures, now!"

The glasses guy panicked, and quickly drew them out. "H-here you go."

Anko looked at the face of the long-tongued Kusa-nin from earlier. _At that time... he had already stolen this face... _"This is bad! Report this to Hokage-sama immediately! Get some ANBU captains together and send them into the Forest of Death! I'm going after them right now!"

--

Orochimaru gave a wicked smile. "Do you want to know why I'm targeting you three?"

Naruto gripped Kubikiri Hocho tightly. "There are four... no, five possible reasons why you could be targeting us... but, you separated me from them, so that narrows it down to two..."

Orochimaru smirked. "You count as three reasons? Oh, this I've got to hear..."

Naruto tightened his stance. "Not a chance... I won't talk to you... you betrayed Sarutobi-sensei..."

Orochimaru's eyes widened again. "Oh, that brings back memories... so, you must be the Hokage's apprentice, Uzumaki Naruto... heh. Then, it is most appropriate that you have the powers of that Kitsune model fruit... I see now the three reasons you thought so highly of yourself for... One, you're the Hokage's apprentice..."

Naruto started shaking. _No... he wouldn't..._

"Two... your Akuma no Mi powers..."

Naruto gulped. _He would, he would..._

"And three... well... I don't think it's quite fair for me to reveal such an important secret as that, now, is it? It is against the law to talk about it in front of you and others of your generation... not that the law applies much to me anymore, kukuku..."

Hinata glanced at Naruto. _A secret so important, the law forbids anyone knowing of it to tell those that don't...? Why would such a thing be put in place about Naruto?_

While the same thoughts ran through Sasuke's head, he had another concern to voice. "Orochimaru... don't tell me he's _that_ Orochimaru?!"

Naruto nodded. "Afraid so... Orochimaru, of the Legendary Sannin..."

Sasuke grit his teeth. "Then... I guess it'd be pointless to try and bargain with our scroll for our lives... because he doesn't need it."

Orochimaru smirked. "Kukuku... Yes, it is pointless... the only bait you can give me to save yourselves... is Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes widened in fear. "M-Me? What do you want me for?"

Orochimaru glanced at him, a sort of lust in his eyes. "Well, wouldn't you like to know? Why don't you face me with your Sharingan... see if you can save your friends?"

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and stepped forward. "For my friends... I'll gladly fight for their sakes."

Orochimaru frowned. "My, no sense of self-preservation... it's worse than I thought. Hanging around these two has made you weak... Sasuke. Though... you have potential. More than Itachi had."

Naruto held Kubikiri Hocho in front of Sasuke, blocking his path. "You monster... I'll cut you in two..."

Orochimaru tilted his head. "Monster? Me? You're one to talk..."

In an instant, Naruto was on the other side of Orochimaru, his sword in a position that said that he had sliced through him. Orochimaru's eyes widened as he fell to the ground, the two halves of his body, now separated at the waist, falling in different directions. The scroll fell from his top half, slightly covered in bodily fluids. Hinata sighed in relief, but her eyes widened in horror as snakes started sprouting from both the bottom of the top half and the top of the bottom half, connecting the two halves together and pulling them back into one piece. Orochimaru slowly got up, and ran a hand along the tear in his robes. "My, my... this won't do at all. I liked these clothes, too..."

Orochimaru looked up, and saw that Naruto had become much taller and much more muscular. He noticed that Naruto's eyes were now red and slitted. _I see... the Kyuubi's chakra alters the powers of the Akuma no Mi... interesting..._ He looked down, and saw what looked like a tattoo under the fur it wasn't too clear. _That must be the seal..._ He placed his hands together in a handseal, and when he took them apart, his fingers on his right hand lit on fire. Naruto growled as he swung his sword down on Orochimaru again with great force. Orochimaru sidestepped it, and the earth where he had been standing seemed to explode when the sword hit it. Orochimaru dashed forward and planted his flaming fingers into Naruto's belly.

The effects were... impressive, to say the least. Naruto dropped his sword, and began rolling around in agony. Red chakra began spilling from his body as his body shifted from shape to shape. Sasuke and Hinata were stunned. Hinata placed a hand over her mouth as tears came to her eyes. _Naruto... I've never seen him in so much pain before..._

Orochimaru tilted his head. "Oops... I think my aim might've been off..." He looked up as Naruto, for a moment, became gigantic, his muscular arms on either side of Orochimaru, his large Kyuubi no Kitsune-esque head growling, its large teeth as big as Naruto. Soon, the form slowly shrunk into Naruto's regular form, and he collapsed onto the ground. All of the red chakra swirling next to him, seeming to condense into one spot. Soon, it took on the shape of Naruto's small fox form. Orochimaru immediately noticed that this small fox had red, slitted eyes.

The fox looked around. "Where... this is... outside the cage..." Its voice was much deeper than Naruto's. He looked up at Orochimaru. "It seems your incompetence has given me freedom... well, a small degree of freedom. I'm stuck in this small body, apparently. Or am I...?" The fox closed its eyes, and in an instant, it changed into a clone of Naruto, his eyes still red and slitted. "I see... this body is a perfect clone of the boy's... permanently infused with my chakra... Ha... Haha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

He turned back to Orochimaru. "As your reward... how would you like... **death**?"

Sasuke grit his teeth. "What's going on? That clone was formed from that weird red chakra..."

Orochimaru chuckled. "This is the third reason I was talking about... sealed within Naruto... is this demon... the Kyuubi no Kitsune. It seems that I accidentally gave it a body to call its own..."

Hinata gulped. "S-so, it wasn't all a coincidence... Naruto's fox-ish appearance, and his birthday being October Tenth..."

Orochimaru turned back to the Kyuubi. "I'm afraid that I can't accept that offer... but if you would allow me to do one thing before I go..." Orochimaru disappeared, and in an instant appeared next to Sasuke. He grabbed him, and leaned forward, and bit him on the neck. As he pushed Sasuke away, Sasuke gripped his neck and screamed. Hinata rushed to his side, and noticed that there was a tattoo shaped like three commas in a circle on his neck. Orochimaru reached up to his face, and tore it of flike a cloth mask. Underneath, his face was pale, and his eyes were yellow and slitted. "Kukuku... if you survive this, and the battle with the Oto-nin trio that are coming after you, Sasuke... seek me out for even more power..." A whirlwind appeared around him, and in an instant, he was gone.

Hinata cried as Sasuke screamed. "Naruto... Sasuke..." She stopped when she felt a shadow appear above her. She looked up, and saw that it was the Kyuubi, carrying Naruto on his shoulders, Kubikiri Hocho strapped to his back. He kneeled down and picked Sasuke up, and slung him over his other shoulder. He glared at Hinata, causing her to shake.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Isn't this one of those times you humans ought to be seeking shelter?"

Hinata gulped. "Wh-why are you helping us?"

The Kyuubi raised an eyebrow. "Why? The best explanation would be... I want too see what it's like to live life in such a small body... that, and all the same, I believe I'm still just a clone of the original Kyuubi no Kitsune... if this boy dies, I die."

Hinata nodded. _I guess... that makes sense..._

--

Anko grit her teeth as she jumped from tree branch to tree branch. _I've got to find him quickly... it's almost nightfall. Once it gets totally dark, I'll be at an even further disadvantage. But... why is he here? What is his purpose? ...it makes no difference. You're here, and it's time to settle things. In the Bingo Book, you are a level-S criminal... I must stop you even if it costs me my life... or, at the least, slow you down until the ANBU arrive. I learned everything from you... I was one of your men... and thus..._ She jumped down, and landed right in front of Orochimaru, who was standing there, smirking. "It's my job to stop you... isn't that right, Orochimaru?"

Several daggers found themselves between her fingers, and she threw them at Orochimaru. He quickly dodged them, and she jumped to get away from him. He quickly extended his long tongue, which wrapped itself around her hand in mid-air. She landed on a branch, and she quickly grabbed the tongue with both of her hands. _Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!_ Snakes grew from her wrists that wrpped around the tongue. Using all of her might, she pulled, and lifted Orochimaru by his tongue over her head and onto the other side of her, slamming him into a tree, at the base of a branch. She dashed up to him, grabbed his right hand with her left, and then drove a kunai through both of them, pining them to the tree.

Anko smirked. "Heh... got you..." She then grabbed his left hand with her right. "Excuse me... I'm going to have to borrow this hand..." Orochimaru's eyes widened when he saw what seal she formed with both of their hands. Anko's smirk deepened. "That's right... you and I will die here.."

"Heh... planning to commit suicide, are we?" 

Anko turned her head around, and saw Orochimaru standing on a nearby tree branch. He chuckled. "It's called Kage Bunshin, my dear. You should learn it someday."

She growled as the Orochimaru she had pinned disappeared in a cloud of smoke. She turned around to look at him, and was at least glad that she had stabbed the real Orochimaru with her kunai- his hand was bleeding. He rubbed his hand as he talked. "You are a Tokubetsu Jonin of this village... it won't do to be using the kinjutsu I taught you." He formed a one-handed seal, and Anko all of a sudden felt a great pain in her neck, and fell to her knees.

She grit her teeth as she looked up at her former master, panting. "Why... are you here...? To assassinate Hokage-sama?" 

Orochimaru smirkedat the prospect. "No... though, I could do that anytime I wanted. No... I'm here to recruit a certain someone... I gave one of those kids a curse seal, just like yours..."

Anko tried to smile, but failed. "How selfish of you... he's going to die, you know..."

Orochimaru succeeded in his smile. "Well... there _is_ a one-in-ten chance that he'll live... if he's anything like you were, he'll live..."

Anko smirked. "You must... really like this kid..."

Orochimaru stood up. "Jealous, are we? You still upset that I threw you away? Well... this kid's got potential. He's an Uchiha, after all. And he's got good looks, too... a perfect vessel for me. Things would be interesting if he survives... the Kyuubi boy, too. Something very interesting happened today, you know- the Kyuubi possessed one of the boy's Kage Bunshin. I wonder what will happen from here..."

Anko panted as she collapsed on the tree branch. Orochimaru frowned. "About three from my village are participating... I'm going to enjoy this. If you end ths exam prematurely, and end my enjoyment... Konohagakure no Sato will _end._" And with that, he disappeared, leaving Anko to suffer on her tree branch.

--

Neji frowned as he spoke to his teammates. "The sun will be up in less than an hour... we've spent a day collecting food and water. Most teams are resting... we'll attack during this time, as planned. Let's split up and spend thirty minutes scouting the area. Whether or not you find another team... meet back here in half-an-hour. Got that?"

Tenten smiled to herself. _I hope I meet that Naruto and his team again... I want to see that sword of his in action!_

--

Hinata sighed as she dipped a washcloth in some water and applied it to Sasuke's forehead. _His fever is still going strong, but his breathing's fine again... _She moved over to Naruto. _Same here... oh, I'm so worried... but what can I do...? _She turned and glanced at the Kyuubi, who was now in his small fox form, standing outside the little cave formed by the tree's roots. _Naruto hid such a secret from us, his best friends..._

The Kyuubi shook his head as he sniffed the air. _We're being watched..._

--

Dosu sneered as he watched the scene before him. "Remember, we attack at daybreak, as Orochimaru-sama commanded... our target is Uchiha Sasuke."

Zaku smirked. "We can kill the others if they interfere, right?"

Dosu nodded. "Of course..."

**Kasek:** Come on, who can say that they saw the Kyuubi getting his own body coming? I admit, it's been done, but still, I like it. I plan on doing many a cool thing with him. First off, though, he needs a name...

Also, I realize that Sasuke never gets to fight Orochimaru, and fear for his life, and all that. I really didn't feel like going through with all of that.


	20. Chapter 20

**Kasek: **So, here we are. Chapter twenty. It's been almost a year and a half since I published chapter one, with very sporadic updating. Hopefully it won't be another year and a half till chapter forty.

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor One Piece**

**Chapter 20: Fight in the Forest**

Hinata swayed slightly from exhaustion. She shook her head vigorously. _No! I must stay awake..._ She looked up through the tree roots and saw that the sun was coming up. _So, it's getting past the twelve-hour mark..._

She froze when she heard a rustling in the bushes behind her. She quickly turned around and saw that it was a squirrel. _A squirrel... for a moment, I thought those Oto-nin had made their move..._

As the squirrel began running toward them, the Kyuubi ran towards it, growling. Scared, the squirrel turned in the opposite direction and fled. The Kyuubi (which really was an inaccurate description, as it only bore one tail at the time) snorted, and moved to Hinata's side. "Bah... I need something to kill. Those... Oto-nin, you called them, have been watching us for half-an-hour."

Zaku snorted. "Wonder where that fox came from... they didn't have it with them before... you think it smelled the explosive note?"

Dosu shook his head. "Unless you can get it to tell you itself, we'll never know... but, it doesn't matter. It's time to go now."

--

Tenten stopped on a tree branch, and allowed herself to zone out as she saw several leaves fall to the ground. _Heh... Lee would probably see if he could try and catch them all before they hit the ground. _Her eyes widened when she saw a squirrel rolling on its back, trying to put out a fire. She quickly jumped down to it, removed the burning piece of paper, and stomped on the flames until they were put out. She held the squirrel out in front of her. "Aww, who would do such a thing to a cute little guy like you? In any case, that means that the enemy can't be too far away..."

--

"Hehehe... up all night?"

Hinata glanced at the invaders. "...oh, it's you. I've been..." She yawned loudly. "...waiting for you to come out for half-an-hour... why... why did Orochimaru do this to us..."

Dosu's one eye widened. "Come again?"

Hinata shook her head vigorously to wake herself up. "Why did Orochimaru give Sasuke this tattoo? He said he was sending you to fight him, so I'm sure you know..."

The three looked amongst themselves. Dosu shook his head. _What is that man thinking... giving him a Curse Seal and then asking us to kill him..._

Zaku spoke up. "Seeing as you know about Orochimaru... looks like we'll need to kill you, too." They all dashed towards Hinata, but were all blown away by something. As they got back up from the ground, they saw that it was the Kyuubi, using Naruto's form.

He smirked. "About time I get to see some action... I let that 'Orochimaru' live... and I've been regretting it ever since. Come on, see if you can take me down."

Dosu looked between the two Naruto's frantically. "What's going on? Why are there two of you? Is the one lying down a clone...?"

The Kyuubi shook his head. "No... you could say that I'm the clone, but... I assure you, I'm far deadlier than the original."

Kin gulped. "This one... acts a lot differently from the one from the last exam..."

--

Tenten looked down at the scene from above. _What's going on here...? Two Narutos? And the one standing up sounds different than earlier, too..._

--

Dosu snorted. "Zaku, you take care of Sasuke. Kin, you're with me." Dosu dashed towards the Kyuubi, pulling up his right sleeve. However, he stopped in his tracks when he found Kyuubi's fist had punched his gut. As the Kyuubi removed his hand, he smirked. "I have all of this boy's memories, you know... you think I'll just let you attack?"

--

Ino yelled in frustration. "We can't find any weak looking guys whatsoever! AHHHHH!"

Shikamaru snorted. "That's because we're the weakest team there is..."

Ino shook her head. "No! There has to be a team weaker than us... what about Sakura's team, what are they like again?" 

Shikamaru sighed- this girl did not give up. "Kiba's an expert fighter, and I don't want to go anywhere near Shino..."

Ino put her hand on her forehead. "Oh... at this rate, we might end up failing... let's just hope we don't run into Sasuke or those Oto-nin..."

Chouji munched another one of his chips. "Hey, isn't that Sasuke's team over there? He's knocked out cold... and that Naruto guy's fighting the Oto-nin."

Ino's forehead twitched. "If you're lying to me, you are **dead**, Choji." She looked where Choji was pointing, and sure enough, there was Naruto fighting the Oto-nin, with Hinata sitting behind him, next to a knocked-out Sasuke, and... a knocked-out Naruto? What was going on?

--

Lee frowned. "Where is Tenten? She's usually good with this stuff... you don't think she's run into the enemy, do you?"

Neji shook his head. "No... she has more than enough common sense to stay hidden. All the same, let's go look for her."

--

Tenten jumped down and dashed into the cave. Hinata got up and assumed a fighting stance. "S-stay back! I'm warning you..."

Tenten held her hands in font of her. "Whoa, whoa! Calm down! I've decided I want to help you guys!"

Hinata's body began shaking from exhaustion. "Why... would you help us?"

Tenten froze. "Why? I... don't quite know myself. But... seeing that you have two men down, I can't help but want to help." She looked around and saw Kubikiri Hocho lying on the ground. "Oh! So he does have it after all..."

Hinata gulped. "If you want to help, why are you here and not fighting them?"

Tnten sighed. "You heard them right? That Zaku guy's going to come after Sasuke... I'll protect these two while you go and help the other Naruto."

Hinata nodded, and dashed towards her foes. Tenten smiled to herself as she looked towards the unconscious Naruto. _Geez... I'm going soft... all this so I can one day see Kubikiri Hocho in action._

Dosu staggered backwards, the bandages over his mouth stained a little. "Why you..." He slammed his left hand onto the device on his right arm, causing it to vibrate extremely loudly. The Kyuubi raised an eyebrow, and then realized what was going on when he is entire body went numb. He kneeled over and vomited, and then slowly got back up.

"Sound-based attacks. Joy." Dosu dashed towards him and and swung at him as hard as he could. The Kyuubi leaned backwards and avoided the attack, but Dosu slammed his left hand onto the device again, and the Kyuubi was sent flying through the air, slamming into the root-cave.

Tenten turned to him. "Are you alright?"

The Kyuubi snorted. "Been better..."

Dosu sneered. "This Melody Arm of mine... is designed to amplify sounds to their ultimate level. Using my chakra, I can manipulate that sound..."

Hinata dashed towards him, her Byakugan activated. They began trading blows, and Hinata smiled as she ducked under nothing. "Your attacks may be sound-based... but they don't move at the speed of sound. I can dodge them." She placed her hand on his chest, and with a burst of chakra, sent him tumbling backwards.

Kin stepped forward. "This one's mine... I don't like her hair one bit. It shines too much..." As she stood there, her hair began lengthening, and crawling along the ground towards her opponent. Hinata's eyes widened, and she jumped backwards. Kin smirked. "You're not getting away!" The hair all of a sudden shot out, and wrapped around Hinata's limbs, suspending her in midair. She struggled, but to no avail- she couldn't get free. The hair retracted, and brought Hinata in front of Kin. As some of the hair traced over Hinata's face, it cut into her skin. "Heh, I'll think I'll have some fun with you... I wonder why you're wearing a silly jacket like that in weather like this, hmm?" A piece of hair wrapped around the zipper, and pulled it down, revealing the black shirt that Hinata wore under it. Kin grit her teeth as the jacket came all the way off. "Why... you... why does a weakling you you get a bigger chest than me? And your hair... no matter what I do to _my _hair, I can never get it to shine like that... how dare you be sexier than me?" She turned to Zaku. "Hey, Zaku, kill those boys in front of this girl to teach her a lesson."

Zaku snickered. _She gets fired up over things like this..._

Tenten threw some kunai as Zaku approached, but then Zaku lifted his hands, and the kunai seemed to be blown back by a wall of nothing. Tenten reached into her waist pack and pulled out a scroll, unfurled it, and extracted an iron pole from it. She charged at Zaku, who confidently kept running straight at her. She swung at him, and it hit him straight in the face with a resounding clang. Tenten's eyes widened. _Flesh... doesn't..._ Zaku punched her in the face, knocking her into the tree and grinned. "Well, well... it seems you found out my secret the hard way. I'm a cyborg- my entire body is composed of metal. Even if you had a sword, I doubt you could slice through me."

"Let's test that theory..." In an instant, the Kyuubi had picked up Kubikiri Hocho and sliced vertically towards Zaku. Zaku jumped backwards, but was shocked when he looked down at himself and saw blood in a long line down his chest. Tenten was impressed. _He sliced through metal like it was flesh... this guy is strong!_

Zaku placed his hands in front of himself, open towards his opponents. "Let me show you something..." Tenten noticed what appeared to be two holes in his hands. In an instant, Zaku was obscured by what looked like a humongous blast of wind. The Kyuubi grunted, and slashed the sword in front of him, apparently slicing the wind blast into pieces. Zaku stumbled backwards in fear before running off.

The Kyuubi grunted. "Weakling... relying on technology instead of his own body..."

Tenten gulped. "Wh-who are you? You're... different from Naruto..."

His red eyes gazed into hers, causing her to shiver in fear. "If you must call me by a name... I guess... Kyuumaru."

'Kyuumaru' dashed towards Kin and Hinata, and in one slash cut Kin's hair, causing the hair holding Hinata to go limp. Kin's eyes narrowed in rage. "You... you just cut my hair... my precious hair... I won't forgive you!"

Hinata gasped for air- some of the hair had been choking her. "Her hair... it has some sort of strange chakra running through it..."

Kin smirked. "Hehehe... it's the result of a little something called an Akuma no Mi..."

Kyuumaru's eyes narrowed. "Is that so...? Then... so is this!" He transformed into the less muscular of the hyrbrid forms, his red eyes seemingly penetrating into Kin's soul, causing her to shake as she stood.

_Dang it, why am I so scared...? I've seen Zoans before..._

_--_

Sasuke looked around himself. _This whiteness... am I dreaming?_ He heard a sound behind him, and looked to find himself face to face with a younger version of himself... in particularly, the 'him' of the day of the masssacre. "Mom and Dad... didn't have to die... if you don't have strength, you can't do anything... because I didn't have strength, the clan was wiped out... everyone was killed... you let them die..." The young Sasuke pulled on his face, and it seemed to tear, revealing a yellow, slitted eye where his normal one was. "If only you had strength... you could protect what you still have... you could avenge what you have lost..."

--

Naruto observed his own surroundings. _Where... am I_? It looked like some sort of sewer- there were pipes lining the walls, and the floor was covered in an inch of water. As he walked on into the blackness, he saw that one hallway was lit with a bright red. _Where... does that go?_

When he reached the end of the hallway, he stared in shock at the room he found himself in. He couldn't see the ceiling, it was so high, and it was so very wide, as well. On the other end of the room were several vertical bars, with two rectangular bars touching in the middle- a gate. In the middle of the gate was a paper seal, with five smaller pieces of paper randomly scattered around it. As Naruto drew closer, he heard a deep laugh. "**Boy... so we finally meet face to face.**"

Naruto gulped. Behind the gate appeared a gigantic fox head, its mouth lined with fangs. Naruto approached it. "That face... the Kyuubi no Kitsune... so, you're the representation of my past self..."

The Kyuubi laughed. "**You think you're me? Boy... you think someone as weak as you can compare himself to me? No... you're just some boy the Yondaime Hokage sealed me into...**"

Naruto stumbled backwards and fell. He held his hands in front of him. "So... I'm not a demon... it's not my fault all those people died..." Tears began freely flowing down his face. "I'm... I'm human... I'm my own person... ha.. haha..."

The Kyuubi snorted, causing Naruto to fall on his back. "**Boy! We don't have time for your petty emotions. Quickly... the five pieces of paper around the main seal... rip them off. I wouldn't mind if you took off the main seal, either, but I'll settle for the five extra seals for now...**"

Naruto got up. "Those five pieces of paper...?"

The Kyuubi nodded slightly, though the motion seemed much greater to Naruto. "**Yes... they are messing with my chakra, causing it to go crazy if I send any of it at all to you...**"

Naruto heard a chuckle behind him. "Yes... we wouldn't want that, now, would we?"

Naruto turned, and saw what looked like a normal fox, though he got a bad feeling from it. "You... you must be the spirit of the Akuma no Mi..."

The fox chuckled again. "Bingo! Give him a cookie, he has common sense!"

Naruto growled. "What do you want from me? I'm kind of busy right now..."

The fox once again chuckled. "Hehehe... actually, I have a favor to ask... pet me."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What are you up to...?"

The fox gave yet another chuckle. "You are wise to be suspicious... but still, you can trust me. You see, I want to imbue you with some of my chakra, as you are imbued with Kyuubi no Kitsune's. If I do so... you'll have better control over your transformations, so you won't just randomly transform when you receive the Kyuubi's chakra. Believe me, it's kinda painful for me when that happens."

Naruto nodded. That would actually be helpful... "Alright. I'll do it." He pet the fox, and he could see orange chakra transfer from the fox to his arm. After a moment, it stopped. "Alright... now time to get some of the other fox's chakra, too..."

--

Ino gulped as she saw Kyuumaru transform. "That Naruto... what is he?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "I dunno, but... he can't be human."

Choji gulped down more chips. "I think we should leave..."

Ino shook her head. "No! We have to help Sasuke!"

Shikamaru grabbed her own. "Be reasonable! Haven't you been paying attention? Cyborgs, Akuma no Mi, monster foxes... this is too much for us! We need to retreat!"

Ino bit her lip for a moment. "...I won't retreat... but I won't get us involved in this, either. You guys are right, it's too high level... so, why don't we wait until they're done, and strike when they're all weakened?"

Shikamaru stared at her. "Well... if they're sufficiently weakened when this is over, sure..."

--

Tenten charged at Zaku, this time with a mace in her hands. "If I can't cut you... then I'll smash your skull in!"

Zaku smirked. _This one, I can take care of..._ As she swung, he grabbed the mace from right below the spiked-ball, and then punched her in the gut, sending her flying. He heard a voice from above after he did so.

"You're going to regret doing that!" Neji appeared in front of him, and thrust an open palm onto Zaku's chest. Blood came out of Zaku's mouth as he was sent flying backwards. _What did that guy do?! To hurt me at much with an open-palm thrust... he's not human!_

Lee appeared next to Tenten. "Tenten, are you alright?"

Tenten nodded. "Sorry... I guess I'm not the best opponent for someone who's skin is made of metal..."

Lee's eyes widened. "Metal?"

Neji nodded. "Yes... I felt it when I hit him. His skin is extremely hard."

Kyuumaru smirked as he relaxed his stance. "It seems... this fight's over."

Kin growled. "What makes you think it's over? Just because those two showed up?"

Kyuumaru shook his head. "No... can't you feel the sheer chakra coming from that Sasuke boy?"

Neji and Hinata whipped around and looked at Sasuke. Sasuke was caught in a spiraling vortex of purple chakra. As he stood, everyone noticed that he had black, flame-like tattoos all along his left arm, and on the left side of his face. He slowly walked over to Hinata, and observed the cuts along his face. "Hinata... who did this to you?"

Hinata gulped, and pointed to Kin. Instinctively, Kin fired off needles of hair from her head, aimed straight for Sasuke. Sasuke disappeared, and Kin could feel all of her hair become significantly lighter. She grit her teeth as she turned and saw that Sasuke had a kunai in his hand, and had cut her hair severely short. She growled, and her hair began to slowly regrow. "You... I'll kill you!"

Sasuke disappeared again, and Kin froze as she felt his breath on her neck. "That's... highly unlikely." He hit her in he back of the neck with the side of his hand, knocking her out.

Dosu swore. _The curse seal is taking over his body... if I don't surrender now, death will be certain... I'm surprised he's able to stand so soon after receiving it._

Dosu took out his Earth scroll and placed it on the ground. "Here... please, just let us live..."

Sasuke frowned. "That's a poor bargaining chip... considering that we got an Earth scroll off of Orochimaru, too..."

Dosu froze. _They... managed to get Orochimaru's scroll? _

Hinata felt like crying. _This killing intent... this isn't what Sasuke is like... _She grabbed his arm, her eyes pleading with him."Please, Sasuke, stop... let them go. This isn't like you..."

Kyuumaru frowned. "I don't know... I kind of want them dead, too..." Hinata glared at him. Kyuumaru remained unfazed. "This world of shinobi that you live in... death is routine in it, is it not?"

Hinata bit her lip. Sasuke took a step forward. "That Orochimaru... he gave me this power. He's made me understand... while part of me may still strive to be a 'protector', I am still an avenger at my core... even if I must take power from a devil, I must gain power..."

He froze when he saw Naruto standing in front of him. "Sasuke... just what do you think you're doing? You have them beat, you don't need to kill them."

Sasuke turned and glanced at Kyuumaru. "Strange... your clone here is on my side..."

Kyuumaru reverted to his human form, and Naruto noticed his red eyes. Naruto turned his attention back to Sasuke. "We already have two scrolls, don't we?"

Kyuumaru nodded. "Yeah... this girl grabbed the other one that that Orochimaru guy dropped."

Naruto snorted. "So, why do we need to fight any longer? We could head straight to the tower right now, if we wanted!"

Sasuke grit his teeth. "Don't get in my way... Naruto." Sasuke disappeared, and reappeared by Dosu. He picked him up by the front of his shirt, and held him high over his head. "When a shinobi engages in battle... he must be prepared for death." Sasuke's eyes widened when he felt something hit the back of his neck. "What... are you trying to do... Naruto?"

Naruto gulped. "Well, I was _trying _to knock you out..."

Sasuke put down Dosu, who quickly ran over towards Zaku. "Why don't you just fight me, instead? You can knock me out that way..."

Naruto growled. "I don't want to fight you... Sasuke. We're friends, aren't we?"

Dosu kneeled next to Zaku. "Can you stand?"

Zaku nodded as he did so. "Sorry... just took me a minute to get a hold of myself."

Dosu shook his head. "We need to get out of here, _now_, if we want to live."

Zaku aimed his hands towards Naruto and Sasuke. "Why? I have a clear shot at him right now..." His eyes widened when he realized that Sasuke had disappeared in the blink of an eye. "Where-?!"

He looked down as he noticed some movement below. Sasuke had appeared below him, and kicked him in the chin. As Zaku was about to go sailing through the air, Sasuke grabbed his foot, and slammed Zaku into the ground behind him. Sasuke then placed his foot on Zaku's body, and began pulling on his arm. "These arms of yours... you like them? I kind of like them too... I think I'll... take one for myself!" He pulled as hard as he could, and Zaku's arm came right off, the electrical wiring connecting it to his body snapping, sparks flying everywhere.

Zaku managed to get back up, and jumped back several paces. Fear was evident in his eyes. "Y-you... you're a monster! Stay back!"

Ino gulped as she watched. _His chakra is completely different than what it was like back at the Academy... is this really Sasuke?_

Tears began streaming down Hinata's eyes as she slowly walked towards Sasuke. "Sasuke... please, stop... this isn't..."

Sasuke grinned as he turned towards Dosu, tossing Zaku's arm back to him. "I hope you can put up more of a fight..."

Hinata dashed towards Sasuke. "STOP IT!!"

Sasuke stiffened as Hinata wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Please... Sasuke... stop it..."

Naruto walked over as the tattoos on Sasuke's body began disappearing. "Do you see what you've done...? The one who's hurt Hinata the most here... is you."

Dosu dashed towards Kin and picked her up. "Zaku, come on, we're leaving, now!" Zaku nodded, and the three of them disappeared.

Kyuumaru shook his head. "And I wanted to kill them, too..."

Neji, Tenten, and Lee came over. Neji spoke first. "Is Hinata-sama going to be alright?"

Hinata let go of Sasuke. "I... I'll be fine. It's only some scratches on my face..."

Neji frowned. "There is your emotional health to be concerned about, as well."

Sasuke fell to his knees. "What... was I doing? I... I ripped that guy's arm off! I was going to kill them!"

Naruto sighed. "Sasuke..."

Neji turned around. _This group is abnormal... I don't want to hang_ "Well, if that's everything, we're leaving. It's a shame they had an Earth scroll, we need a Heaven scroll. Come on, Lee, Tenten."

As Neji and Lee disappeared, Tenten smiled. "See you in the next exam, Naruto."

Naruto nodded as she disappeared. Naruto smiled. "Come on, you guys... let's get to the tower."

As Team 7 left, as well, Team 8 slowly emerged from the bushes. Ino, after making sure there was no one left, dashed over to the scroll Dosu had left behind and lifted it in the air. "Yes! Score one for Team Ino-Shika-Cho!"

**Kasek: **Geez, I can't get Kyuumaru's character to be like I want it to be... I guess I can let is slide under "He's got both he Kyuubi's and Naruto's personalities stuck in one brain, so they're starting to merge', or something. To be noted: The Kyuubi and Kyuumaru are separate characters. Kyuumaru does not know what goes on inside Naruto's head and vice-versa. Kyuumaru _may_ grow to be somewhat nicer later on.

So, yeah, decided that it'd make sense for Zaku to be a cyborg. Wonder how Orochimaru got his hands on that technology...

Also, I can't come up with a good name for Kin's Akuma no Mi (obviously, the English name would be Hair Hair Fruit), so that's why it's not mentioned in story.


	21. Chapter 21

**Kasek: **Thanks for sending in ideas for Kin's fruit, guys. I guess I'll stick with Kami Kami no Mi because of the silliness of the name. Also, thanks to Cybertoy00 for reminding me that there was so much more I could do with Kin's abilities. To answer your question, Zaku is closer to Franky than the Pacifistas, but his only weapons besides his actual body are the tubes in his arms. He's more of a proto-type cyborg than anything.

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor One Piece.**

**Chapter 21: A Replacement For War**

Naruto gulped as the four of them- Kyuumaru in his Fennec fox form- jumped through the trees. "So, this guy is some kind of permanent clone that possesses both the Kyuubi's personality and my memories... and you guys know my secret..."

Hinata nodded. "Yes... I can't say I was... too surprised... there's always been something... different, about you, than normal people..."

Naruto grit his teeth; just talking about this made him remember the dark parts of his past. Those eyes... those terrible, cold eyes, inflicting judgment on a young boy...

Sasuke smirked. "Well, at least you don't have to hide it from us anymore..."

Naruto nodded, and forced a smile. "Y-yeah..."

Hinata began jumping right by Naruto's side. "Naruto... we're not going to treat you differently because you're the container of the thing that destroyed our village once..."

This time, a true smile came. "Thank you... Hinata..." 

Kyuumaru snorted. "Geez, you humans... even with this boy's memories, I don't quite understand you..."

Naruto stared at the small fox. "That makes me wonder... what the heck I'm going to do with you..."

Kyuumaru smirked. "Well, that Kiba guy has his dog, right? I can be your fox. As far as we know, I could be bound to you- I could get so far away, and then just disappear into nothingness." Naruto nodded. That made sense... clones could only work within a certain distance of the user. "Plus, if I stay with you, I might get to kill people... and that's a prospect I look forward to." 

Naruto snorted. "You're not going to be killing anybody with _that_ form..."

Kyuumaru nodded. "Well, that's what the other forms are for... not to mention that, being your clone, I have a clone of Kubikiri Hocho for myself..."

Naruto smirked. "Twin swords, eh? That could come in handy..."

Sasuke stared at Kyuumaru blankly. "And why are we supposed to trust you, again?"

Kyuumaru chuckled, his deep voice making it almost humorous compared to his small body. "Well... to be honest, every time I think about killing you guys, I get a most unpleasant feeling in my stomach... I may possess this body, but a part of Naruto's conscience resides within me, as well... it'd probably be unbearable for me to have you guys die."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Every time? Just how many times have you thought of it?"

Kyuumaru closed his eyes in thought for a second. "Hmmm... five or six times, maybe. I haven't been keeping track."

Sasuke shivered. _At least he has honesty going for him..._

--

Anko frowned as she tried debating with the ANBU in the room of the central tower they were in, her hand on the Curse Seal on her neck. "We can't stop these exams!"

The one with the bird mask tilted his head. "What do you mean? Orochimaru is now involved! Martial law is supposed to be invoked the moment he appears!"

Anko grit her teeth. "I don't have time to explain! I need the Hokage here, now!"

They were interrupted by a Chunin with a small beard, who burst into the room, a video tape in his hand. "Anko! We've been waiting for you! There's something I must report!"

Anko glared at the man. "This better be darn important, because if it isn't..."

He quickly walked into the room and placed the video into a VCR, and turned on the TV it was connected to. The screen snowed for a moment, before coming into focus. The man pointed to the corner. "Please note the time of this recording... this is an hour and thirty seven minutes into the exam."

Anko's eyes widened as she looked at the screen. It was Gaara and his two teammates... inside the tower. They had successfully gotten to the tower... and apparently killed the Chunin assigned to greet them. The man lowered his head. "These three, from Suna... passed the second exam this fast."

Anko shivered. "Ninety-seven minutes... how is that... possible?"

The Chunin nodded. "To demolish the old record of four hours... these guys are not at the Genin level."

Anko shook her head. "Ten kilometers of dangerous terrain... wild beasts, poisonous insects, rough terrain... they made it look easy... especially the red head."

The Chunin inspected the image of Gaara. "Especially him? What makes you say that?"

The bird-masked ANBU tilted his head. "That's... amazing..."

The Chunin glared at Gaara. "What? I don't see it..."

Anko smirked. "Check his body. See what's wrong with it?"

The Chunin gulped. "Not a scratch..."

Anko shook her head. "Nor a speck of dirt."

The Chunin shook. _For me... for any Chunin, that feat is nigh impossible..._

The bird-masked ANBU shook his head. "Looks like we have a good contender for Chunin, then... but I don't like the look in his eyes..."

--

Naruto looked up at the writing on the wall- they had finally made it to the tower, and once inside, they were greeted with a large room, with writing on the wall."If you lack heaven, seek wisdom, be prepared. If you lack earth, run in the fields, seek advantages. If you have both heaven and earth, you can succeed in even the most dangerous mission. These rules will guide a extremes."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I wonder what the missing word is... 'Chunin's', maybe? Or maybe 'shinobi's'?"

Hinata took out the Heaven scroll they had gotten from Orochimaru. "I wonder... do you think we can open the scrolls now?"

Naruto took out the Earth scroll. "Well, they said not to open it _before_ we got to the tower... so, yeah, sure, let's do it. Not like there's anybody around to see it in case we're not supposed to."

Carefully, both Naruto and Hinata opened there scrolls at the same time. Both Naruto and Sasuke recognized what was inscribed- a summoning jutsu. Sasuke grit his teeth. "Guys! Throw them away, now!"

They did as told, and the air above the scrolls began to become enshrouded in smoke as they hit the ground. The smoke cleared, revealing Iruka. Hinata was the most surprised. "I-Iruka-sensei? What are you doing here?"

Iruka smirked. "Hey. Long time no see."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah... one question: what's with the summoning jutsu?"

Iruka smiled. "It's set up so that we Chunin come and greet the exam takers when they get here." He took out a watch and made note of the time. "Geez, you guys were fast... though, a couple of teams did make it here before you guys did. Still, congratulations on passing this second exam."

Sasuke's eyes widened in realization. "Wait... if we had opened the scrolls during the exam..."

Iruka nodded. "You're as sharp as ever. I'd have been forced to knock you out and remove you from the exam. This exam is set up to test our trustworthiness, and ability to do as told."

Naruto's eyes wandered back to the writing on the wall. "Okay, question number two: what's the writing on the wall for?"

Iruka chuckled. "Well, I'm here to explain that, too. This is the motto of the Chunin, as written by Hokage-sama himself. 'If you lack heaven, seek wisdom, be prepared.' Basically, if you're not doing so well in the smarts department... do some studying. 'If you lack earth, run in the fields, seek advantages.' So, if you're not doing so well in the stamina department... get some exercise, train hard. 'If you have both heaven, and earth, you can succeed in even the most dangerous mission.' That part is self-explanatory- missions are easy if you train both your mind and your body well. And the last part... 'These rules will guide a person's extremes.'

"This exam was supposed to test the basic abilities you would need as a Chunin... and you guys obviously pass that. Chunin are the same as military captains- you have the responsibility to lead a team, and you need knowledge, strength, and wisdom for your duties. I want you guys to challenge the next step with this motto in mind."

Naruto saluted him in all seriousness. "Yes, sir!"

Iruka smiled. _These kids... Sasuke, and Hinata... I knew they were always strong, but... they have come far... is it because of your influence, Naruto? And of course, Kakashi's as well... I was wrong not to take his word that you guys were ready..._

Naruto's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, yeah! I need to talk to Saru- I mean, the Hokage right away! It's urgent!"

Iruka was surprised. "Urgent? What could be so urgent as to warrant the Hokage's attention?"

Naruto growled, though not at Iruka. "A man named Orochimaru attacked us during the exams... I'm sure you know who he is."

Iruka gulped. _Orochimaru?!_ "A-are you sure it was him?"

Naruto grit his teeth. "No doubt about it... that man wasn't human..."

Iruka sighed. "I'm glad you guys are alive... I'll see to it that the Hokage gets here as soon as possible. He is supposed to arrive here anyways on the last day... but seeing that this is an emergency..."

Naruto nodded. "Thank you... Iruka."

Iruka mentally made a note that it was creepy for a kid not to call him Iruka-sensei. "Well, I'm off... you guys are pretty much free to explore the tower, claim a bedroom for yourself, and just take it easy for the next few days."

Naruto grinned. "Sure thing!"

As they went up to the balcony and left, Iruka sighed. _Since when did Naruto have a pet fox? It was wearing the same clothes as he as wearing, too... weird. I'll have to ask Hokage-sama about it._

_--_

**A few days later**

Kabuto and his two teammates- both identically dressed as Kabuto, except that their heads were covered by hats and veils, and in one case further covered by sunglasses- kneeled in front of Orochimaru inside the tower. Kabuto glanced up. "I'm sorry... I didn't run into Sasuke at all during the second exam."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Well, then... why don't you take part in the third exam, as well?"

Kabuto's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Orochimaru-sama! I've never taken part of the third exam out of all the times I've taken the Chunin Exams! I might lose the chance to ever take them again!"

Orochimaru chuckled once more. "Did you forget? By the end of these exams, Konohagakure no Sato will be no more... besides, I can always get other spies. Though, they won't be as skilled as you are, Kabuto..."

Kabuto smirked. "I'm flattered..."

--

Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe as he stood in front of Anko. "There, does the curse still hurt?"

Anko smiled as she rubbed the mark on her neck. "No... thank you, I feel much better."

Kotetsu voiced his concerns. "Orochimaru... one of the Legendary Sannin... an S-class criminal even the ANBU can't touch... I had heard he had already died..."

Izumo frowned. "Why would he come here, now?"

Anko remembered what Orochimaru had told her. "He wants..."

Hiruzen interupted her. "Sasuke, right? I've already been informed..."

He remembered back to his meeting with Naruto shortly before. The boy had explained Orochimaru, not to mention the whole ordeal with the Kyuubi possessing a clone of the boy. It had been... interesting to meet with the creature that had stolen so many of the lives he held dear.

--

_Hiruzen glared at the small fox. "How can I trust you with the lives of Naruto and his friends... considering how many lives you've taken from this village already?"_

_Kyuumaru sighed. Having to explain something more than once was an irritant, he had discovered. "I was but a mindless beast when I attacked Konoha... residing within the boy has given me intelligence... not to say that I wouldn't do it again given the chance, but... at any rate, as I am now... this body still retains some of Naruto's conscience inside of it. It makes me sick to think about killing those close to him. Betraying this village... is something that I will not do, so long as I remain bound to Naruto. And, like I said, I owe him for making me who I am."_

_Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe. "Very well... it is true that you did not display the capacity to speak, all those years ago... alright, I'll trust you. But if you betray us, you will find a much worse fate than being sealed inside Naruto awaits you..."_

_Kyuumaru nodded- he could tell Hiruzen was serious in the matter. "I'll keep that in mind..."_

_--_

A television screen flickered on, and a Chunin appeared on the screen. "Anko-sama! A total of twenty-four Genin have passed the second exam! In accordance with the rules, for the first time in five years, we will hold a preliminary exam before the third exam."

Hiruzen removed his pipe from his mouth. "Well... it'd be best to continue the exams. We'll keep an eye on Orochimaru..."

--

Anko smirked as she looked at the crowd of Genin before her. _For twenty-four to make it... I know I said I'd cut them in half, but I was expecting single digits... _She fidgeted with her ear-mounted micropone before speaking. "Alright, first off... congratulations on passing the second test!"

Facing the crowd of Genin were many elder shinobi- some Chunin, like Iruka, Anko, Ibiki, and the Sandaime Hokage were in the fist row, and behind them were the Jonin senseis of the Genin who had made it. Gai smirked as he talked to Kakashi, who was right beside him. "Your team wasn't so bad... they must've gotten really lucky. But as long as my team is around, they won't be passing... since from here on out, this exam is about _real_ ability. Well, youth has its ups and downs, I suppose..."

Kakashi glanced towards Gai. "Did you say something?"

Gai pumped his fist as he looked away from Kakashi, causing Kakashi to raise an eyebrow. _Not bad, my rival Kakashi... you're kind of cool in that way, and that... really gets on my nerves._

Tenten smiled as she watched the exchange. _That's Kakashi-sensei, huh? He certainly beats Gai-sensei in the looks department..._

Lee pumped his own fist- he had an opposite view. _As I thought, Gai-sensei shines brighter than all of the other senseis! Watch me, as I will shine bright too!_

Neji frowned as he looked at Team 7. _So, Hinata-sama's team made it to the tower after all... Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto... what __**are**__ those two?_

Zaku grit his teeth as his eyes focused on Sasuke. _I don't care if I managed to get my arm back on... you are going __**down**__, Uchiha!_

A Suna Jonin- named Baki- frowned as he observed his team. _Gaara's unscathed... what a surprise..._

Kurenai's eyes widened a little when she noticed that Akamaru was shivering inside of Kiba's coat. _That's weird..._

Kiba shook his head. _Akamaru's scared real bad... there must be a couple of real monsters in this room..._

Sakura looked around slowly. _That's weird... all of the Konoha rookies are here..._

The Ame-Genin who had tried disguising himself as Naruto smirked under his breath mask. _Hehehe... that blond kid made it... good, I want my revenge..._

At the same time, the Ame-Jonin was smirking as he looked towards Ibiki. _Oh, Morino Ibiki... long time no see... I wonder if those scars still ache..._

Sasuke rubbed his neck, where Kakashi had placed a seal on top of his Curse Seal. Apparently, it worked on willpower- if he ever _wanted_ the Curse Seal for some reason, it _would_ take him over. So long as he willed it to stay inside the seal, it would. _I can't say I'm getting a good feeling from this whole ordeal..._

Hiruzen smirked. _For so many to make it... and all nine of the rookies made it, as well. I can see why they were nominated._

Anko continued speaking. "And now, Hokage-sama will explain the third exam!"

Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe, letting the smoke slowly leave his mouth. "Before I explain that... you all need to know the true reason for this exam..." This caused many of the Genin to become confused. "Why do we have all of the allied countries taking these exams together? 'To promote friendship among the countries', 'To raise the level of shinobi'. I don't want you to get confused about the true meaning of this exam. In reality... this is a replacement for war.

"It wasn't so long ago that we were all enemies. In order to prevent wasteful fighting... they chose the Chunin Exams as the stage for battle. It is true that these exams decide which shinobi may become Chunin... but, on the other hand, shinobi risk their lives here to protect their country's pride. Watching this third exam will be many leaders and influential people who make up our clients. And, of course, the leaders of each country will be there to watch their soldiers fight. If a country is seen as strong... they will receive more clients. If they are seen as weak... they will lose business. And finally, it shows to potential enemies just how strong we are, possibly preventing attacks."

Kiba growled. "But... why risk our lives in battle?!"

Hiruzen removed his pipe from his mouth. "The strength of a country lies in the strength of its village. The strength of a village lies in its shinobi. And a shinobi's true strength... can only be seen in a battle where their life is on the line. This exam is meant to show off not just a country's strength, but your own. It only has meaning because lives are at risk."

Tenten voiced a concern of hers. "But then... why say stuff like it's for friendship?"

Hiruzen sighed. "I already told you, don't get confused. By losing life, and establishing balance... that is the form of friendship in the world of shinobi. I will tell you one last thing... this third exam is not a test, but... an all-out battle, with your dreams and your country's pride on the line!"

Gaara glared at the Hokage. "Just hurry up and tell us what this all-out battle entails..."

Hiruzen frowned. _The manners of young people these days... he needs to take lessons, like Naruto did._ "I was about to start doing that. Now, then..."

Someone appeared directly in front of him, and bowed. The man coughed. "Actually, Hogake-sama... as the referee for the third exam, allow me, Gekkou Hayate, to tell them..." Hiruzen nodded, and the man turned around to face the crowd. "Hello, everyone. I'm Hayate..."

Zaku snickered. _What the? This guy looks totally sick! Those bags under his eyes can __**not**__ be a good sign._

Naruto raised an eyebrow. _Is... he alright?_

Hayate coughed again, signifying that he may, indeed, be sick. "First off... in accordance with the rules, there needs to be a preliminary exam... to decide who gets to move on to the main event."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "You mean we have to go through _four_ exams?!"

Sakura voiced what was on most everyones minds. "How come we aren't all allowed to go to the third exam? We all certainly passed the second exam!"

Kayate coughed once more. "Yes, you did... and that's the problem. Too many people passed. In accordance with the rules, we're holding a preliminary to reduce the numbers. As Hokage-sama said, there will be many important guests... and we can't be held responsible for wasting their time if the fights take too long. So, since these preliminaries are going to be starting almost immediately... is there anyone who would like to forfeit?"

There were no takers. "Are you sure? From now on, it will be one-on-one battles- your quitting will not affect your teammates." Still no takers. "Alright, then... let's start his preliminary. It will consist of one-on-one fights... fight like you're in a life or death situation. So, there will be twelve battles... the winners will go on to the third exam.

"There are basically no rules. The fights will go on until someone dies, is knocked out, or admits defeat. I suggest quickly admitting your defeat while you're still alive. Also, if I decide that the winner has been made clear... I will step in, to avoid an increase in the body count of these exams. Now, then... as for how we will decide the match-ups..."

Anko whispered into her microphone. "Open it."

A wooden panel on the far wall, to the upper left of a large statue of two hands clasped together in a chara-gathering seal, opened up, revealing a large screen. Hayate again coughed. "This electric scoreboard will show the match-ups for each battle... I know this is sudden, but let's see who is fighting first..."

The scoreboard lit up, and names began flashing on and off the screen at a very high speed. Eventually, it settled on two names- Sasuke Uchiha VS Oboro. Sasuke frowned. "Oboro...?"

The Ame-nin who had been disguised as Naruto sneered under his breath mask. "Lucky, lucky... I get to face one of the members of that team already...

Hayate coughed, though this time it was on purpose. "Would these two come up here?" They did as told, and stood facing each other in front of Hayate. Hayate looked at them both. "Are you two ready?" 

Sasuke smirked. "As ready as I'll ever be..."

Oboro shifted from one foot to the other. "Just let me at him..."

Hayate nodded. "Would everyone else please move to the balcony?"

Naruto grinned as he dragged Hinata over to Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei! I bet you can't wait to see all of our matches, right?" 

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Yes... I want to see just how strong you all have gotten..."

Ibiki frowned as the Ame-Jonin stood next to him. "Hey, Ibiki, long time no see..."

Ibiki growled. "Don't push it. I'm doing my best holding myself back from killing you... Rokusho Aoi."

The jumpsuit-wearing Jonin laughed. "Oh, so you do remember me..."

Ibiki grit his teeth. "Who could forget... because of you, I lost my little brother..."

Hayate raised his hand into the air. "Now... begin!"

**Kasek: **I don't know how Aoi managed to sneak in here. Okay, yes I do. One minute, I'm thinking "Hmm... Team Oboro never got defeated by Team 7. I'll bring them in so I can mix up the matches even more." Next thing you know, I'm like, "Hey, their Jonin-sensei is Aoi. That might make for an interesting twist." So, yeah. If you don't know who he is, he's from the first filler arc of the anime, before the Rescue Sasuke Arc. Do your own research if you don't know him, cause I don't feel like explaining everything about him.

So, yeah, send in your ideas for who should fight who. However, I think I'll keep the most _important_ fight the same, and I may keep others the same, too.

So, matches yet undecided:

Naruto, Hinata

Tenten, Neji

Mubi, Kagari (Team Oboro)

Kankuro, Temari

Kabuto, Yoroi, Misumi

Kiba, Shino, Sakura

Ino, Shikamaru, Choji

Dosu, Zaku, Kin


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not Naruto, not One Piece.**

**Chapter 22: The Preliminaries, part 1**

Sasuke activated his Sharingan as soon as the match began. He watched his opponent quickly put together several handseals, but to Sasuke, it was slow motion as Oboro's chakra passed through his hands with each motion, each little motion becoming permanently ingrained in Sasuke's mind. Oboro glared at his opponent as his jutsu activated. "Oboro bunshin no jutsu!" Immediately, the room was filled with clones of Oboro. Sasuke slowly walked to his left in a fighting stance as he looked among all of the clones. His vision showed that they were all clones- the original had disappeared. He smirked as he saw the glow of Oboro's chakra moving beneath the ground. _So, that's where he is..._

He ignored the clones as they took out kunai and began slicing into him, keeping the real deal in the corner of his vision. Soon enough, the original came out of the ground partway like it was water, a kunai in his hand. Sasuke smirked as he threw the kunai, timing the attack to go with one of his clones' attacks. Sasuke charged chakra to his feet, and seemed to disappear, reappearing behind Oboro. Oboro was clearly shocked, and began sinking back into the ground. However, Sasuke gripped his arm, which was still raised, and pulled him out of the ground, not even leaving a mark where he had been. Oboro grit his teeth as he saw Sasuke wind up for a punch. "Looks like I was... unlucky..."

Sasuke punched him as hard as he could in the face, sending him flying, his breath mask detaching, showing his mouth for the first time. Blood exited his mouth as he landed, unconscious. Hayate quickly checked him to make sure he was down and then coughed into his hand. "The winner of the first match, Uchiha Sasuke!"

Cheering could be heard from both Sakura and Ino. Sasuke smirked, and turned to them, raising his fist, causing them both to turn on each other. "See that, Ino-pig? He acknowledged me as his official supporter!" "No way, he did that for me!"

Naruto sighed as Sasuke appeared next to him. "You did that to them on purpose..."

Sasuke chuckled. "Maybe."

Gai turned to Kakashi. "Well, looks like your team isn't... _all _bad."

Kakashi chuckled. "You haven't seen anything yet."

While Aoi grit his teeth, he was not the only one upset with the fight. The snake-eyed Jonin from Otogakure- who was really Orochimaru in disguise- gripped the sides of his sleeves. _I don't get it... Sasuke has the Curse Seal placed on him, so why was he able to use his Sharingan without drawing on its power? Did the higher-ups get to him before the end of the exams? Bah, it matters not... Even under a seal, he will be drawn to its power._

Hayate coughed again as the screen displayed the next two fighters. "Zaku Abumi and Hyuuga Hinata, please come down."

Naruto slapped Hinata on the back. "Go get him, Hinata! This guy shouldn't be a problem for you!"

Hinata gulped. "Naruto, you didn't see what he was capable of back in the forest... I don't know if I can do this..."

Naruto grinned. "Hey, don't forget, you're a member of Team 7, the strongest Genin team around!"

Hinata forced herself to smile. "Alright, if you say so..."

Zaku smirked. "Ah, what luck! I get to face her..."

They both stood in front of Hayate, face to face. Hayate raised his hand. "Second match, begin!" As soon as he jumped back, Hinata dashed forward, Byakugan activated, and thrust a palm into Zaku's chest. Zaku grit his teeth as blood trickled down his chin. _Not... again!_ He placed his hands in front of him, between himself and Hinata. "Zankuha!" Hinata was blasted away, and landed on the floor away from her, . As she slowly got up, Zaku coughed up more blood. _Shoot... she's just like that other guy... same eyes, same freaky taijutsu..._

Orochimaru frowned. _Oh? Looks like cyborg technology is no match for the Jyuken of the Hyuuga clan..._

Zaku aimed his hands once more at Hinata. "Zankuha!" She was again blasted back, this time into a wall, and there were now several tears in her coat, blood in each of the tears, as well as blood coming from out of her mouth. Zaku smirked. _If I can keep her away, I'll be fine..._

Hinata got up from the floor, panting. Neji smirked at the sight. "Looks like the Main House isn't so mighty, after all..."

Zaku blasted her again, and she was again blasted against the wall. "Zankuha! Zankuha! ZANKUHA!" It didn't take long for a Hinata-shaped dent in the wall to form, with Hinata in it. Hinata removed herself from the wall, and her legs wobbled as she tried to take a fighting stance. Zaku growled. "Darn you! Stay down!"

Hinata shook her head. "I won't... because... I am a proud member of Team 7... as such... when I go and do something... I try with all of my might..." She slowly unzipped her jacket, and tossed it aside, gaining shocked looks from the rest of the rookies. Naruto, especially, was surprised. _That jacket... I haven't seen her without that jacket since she got it years ago..._

She quickly ran her hands through several handseals. Neji's eyes widened. _Ninjutsu?! But... members of the Main House are all taijutsu specialists!_

Kakashi smiled under his mask. _All this time, Hinata has never gotten to show what she can really do... she feels like that she is always in need of having someone rescue her... this jutsu... is proof of her will to win, to help her teammates, at any costs._

Hinata stopped on the final seal. "Suiton: Chigan no jutsu!" Everyone's eyes widened as the blood all along Hinata's arms and sides began to float in mid-air, forming into several small balls floating in mid-air. Without warning, one shot out at Zaku. He raised his arm to deflect it, but was pushed back an inch by the sheer force of it. He twisted his arm and looked- there was a small dent where it had hit him. He looked back and saw the sheer multitude of similar bullets that were floating besides Hinata. He had just enough time to utter a curse as they all began to rain upon him. He raised his arms to defend himself, but he already knew that it wouldn't help- he could feel the force of each bullet as it hit him, each one pushing him back.

Soon, it was over- Hinata only had so much blood to give. He sighed in relief as he moved his arms out of the way of his face. "That wasn't so-" He froze- Hinata was right in front of him. _That jutsu was a __diversion?! _She pulled her open palm as far back as she could, and then rammed it into his chest, sending him flying as the chakra went from her palm into his body, causing him to cough up yet more blood.

As he lied on the ground, Hayate came to his side. _Definitely unconscious.. using what appears to be a last-chance jutsu as a distraction... that girl's good._ "Winner: Hyuuga Hinata!"

Hinata smiled as she fell on her rear. "Really? That's..."

Naruto and Sasuke instantly appeared by her side, Naruto grinning while Kyuumaru lay on top of his head. "Hinata! That was great! What did I tell you? I had faith in you the whole time!"

Dosu frowned under his bandages. _To defeat a cyborg is no easy feat... my congratulations to you, Konoha-nin... _

Hinata nodded as medics came by with a stretcher. "You'll have to excuse us, but she needs to be taken to the infirmary."

Naruto's smile faded. "Oh, right... carry on. Sorry you can't see my match, Hinata! Just you watch, I'll win too!"

Hinata nodded again. "I know you can do it... Naruto..."

Naruto and Sasuke climbed back up to their spots as Hinata was carried away. Naruto pumped his fist. "Alright! Now I'm all excited for my match!"

Sasuke shook his head. "You'll have to wait... look who's next."

Naruto looked up at the screen- it said, "Aburame Shino VS Akado Yoroi". Sakura smirked as she patted Shino on the back. "Go get him! He's no match for your abilities!"

Shino nodded, and slowly walked down to the arena. His opponent, who was wearing a veil and sunglasses, gave off the impression he was smirking as he too walked down to the arena. Orochimaru frowned. _An Aburame? Even with his special ability, Yoroi doesn't stand a chance..._

Yoroi spoke first. "Are you sure you don't want to give up? I can end this fairly quickly you know..."

Shino nodded. "Same goes for you..."

Hayate looked between the two of them, coughed, raised his hand, and then swung it down as he jumped backwards. "Third match, begin!"

Immediately, Yoroi dashed towards Shino and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, lifting him into the air. Yoroi's voice indicated pride. "Ha! I've got you now..."

Shino narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses. "A chakra absorption technique? How appropriate that I am the one chosen to fight you..."

Yoroi's eyes widened as several bugs came from Shino's coat and swarmed all over his hand. He quickly let go of Shino, but to his horror, he discovered that there were more climbing up his legs. Shino calmly stood and watched as Yoroi tried desperately to brush them all off, to no avail. "These are my Kikaichu- they absorb the chakra of their victims, draining them until they are a dry husk. I suggest you forfeit now."

Yoroi nodded his head vigorously- he could already feel his chakra draining. "I forfeit! I forfeit!"

The bugs retreated back into Shino's coat as Hayate raised his hand. "The winner, by forfeit, is Aburame Shino!"

Naruto gulped as he watched Shino walk back to his team. "Scary..."

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah... with that guy, you could still die even after you kill him, as his bugs aren't exactly tied to his life-force..."

Lee turned to Neji. "What... is he?"

Neji quickly put his hands together in a chakra gathering seal, and activated his Byakugan. His eyes widened at what he saw. "That boy... it'd be different if he was summoning those insects, but... he's a human colony of bugs!"

Gai nodded. "The Aburame clan... at birth, they establish a contract with the kikaichu, allowing them to feed off of their chakra, and in exchange allowing the person control over the bugs... a truly frightening clan..." Lee gulped. That was not the kind of person he wanted to fight.

Sakura gave a wide smile as Shino approached. "Congrats, Shino!"

Kiba smirked. "Great job, man."

Shino nodded. "I'm counting on you guys to make it through as well..."

Kiba grit his teeth. _Geez, he wins one match and now he thinks he's team leader!_

The panel flashed the names of the next two fighters. Hayate coughed as he announced them. "Kin Tsuchi VS Tsurugi Misumi!"

Kin quickly made her way to the arena, and stood as she waited for her opponent- who looked like Yoroi, except the lenses on his glasses were clear- to come down. Hayate coughed again. "And now, let the fourth match... begin!"

Misumi growled. "I'm warning you now... if I use my techniques, you _will_ lose. Forfeit now, before I kill you."

Kin smirked as she brushed a hand through her long hair. "You don't know who you're dealing with, do you?"

Misumi narrowed his eyes, and charged straight at her, and threw a punch. She blocked it, but Misumi's arm actually wrapped around hers like a snake. Quickly, Misumi was behind her, each of his limbs wrapped around one of hers, his right arm also wrapped around her neck. "My body has been altered so I can fit into any space to gather information... Give up now... or do you want me to keep squeezing until I snap your neck?"

Kin smirked. "Like I said, you don't know who you're dealing with here..." In an instant, Misumi's eyes widened as he coughed up blood- coming out of his back were several spikes of Kin's hair. The hair retracted as Misumi's limbs uncoiled, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Kin brushed her hand through her hair again. "Be glad- I missed your vitals on purpose."

Lee gulped again. "That jutsu...I did not see any hand seals for it."

Neji again used his Byakugan to look at his opponent. "Her chakra... it's weird. She has two types of chakra in her body. There's the normal yellow, but the other is... brown. It's mostly concentrated in her hair, though there are traces of it all over her body."

As the medics removed Misumi from the battlefield, Hayate coughed to gain everyone's attention, though by this point people were starting to ignore it. "Haruno Sakura, Kagari, get down here."

As they stood in front of Hayate, Sakura glared at Kagari, a look that promised that she would win. Kagari, even though his bandages completely covered his eyes, gulped anyways. "Fifth match, begin!"

Kagari immediately lept into a jutsu. As he placed his hands together, he seemed to disappear, and was quickly replaced by several clones, who were wearing black versions of his current outfit. Sakura looked a bit worried, but steeled herself anyways. However, this was not what the others saw- they saw Kagari merely put his hands together, Sakura brace herself, and then Kagari slowly started walking towards her. He was probably smirking as he raised a kunai in his hands, twirling it expertly as he walked towards her. He paused in front of her, Sakura seemingly ignoring his existence. "Heh... this was too easy..."

He slashed at her, but surprisingly, she gripped his arm and made him drop his kunai. She smirked at him. "Please, you call _that_ a genjutsu? I'll show you what a real genjutsu is like!" She quicky pushed him away, and then ran her hands through the requisite seals, Kagari's eyes widening under his bandages as something caught hold of his leg. It was... a decayed human hand. Soon, another, and another, and the hands were soon attached to decayed arms, which were soon followed by decayed bodies rising from the ground. They quickly grabbed hold of his arms, preventing him from canceling it prematurely. Kagari screamed in horror as he realized that the three undead holding on to him were his teammates and sensei. Seeing his sensei's decaying face causing him to nearly vomit in his breath mask. Sakura smirked. "Do you give, or do I need to put a kunai through your neck?"

Kagari nodded furiously. "I give! I give!"

Hayate raised his arm. "The winner of this match, by forfeit, is Haruno Sakura!"

Sakura canceled the genjutsu, and Kagari collapsed. He was immediately placed on a stretcher and removed from the arena. Ibiki chuckled as he watched them leave. "Well, two down, one to to go. Your team's not doing so hot."

Aoi growled. "Che, guess it's a curse... your brother's team failed in the first exam. You were the proctor, I recall."

Ibiki twitched. "Just be glad that, technically, I'm not allowed to kill you because of the temporary treaty that surrounds this exam."

Aoi looked up at the board. "Well, looks like we'll see here and now whether or not I can stick around." The board read: "Yamanaka Ino VS Mubi."

The two ninja both got into position in front of Hayate. Ino gulped. _Don't worry, Sakura and Sasuke took out this guy's teammates, no problem. I shouldn't have much of a problem, either... right?_

Hayate chopped his hand through the air and moved away. "Sixth match, begin!"

Immediately, Mubi moved his hands into the same seals Kagari had before, and the clones came once more, Mubi disappearing in the masses. Ino gulped again. _Clones? And so many of them! Where'd the original go? Is he hiding behind one of the clones? Is he using a genjutsu?_ She took a step backwards, panicking. _This is too much...! I don't know what to do!_ One of the clones raised a kunai, and drew its arm back, as if to throw it. Inos eyes widened. _Alright, calm down. It's just a clone, possibly even just a genjutsu. There's no way it's going to hurt you._ The clone snapped its arm forward, and the kunai flew through the air. Ino did her best not to flinch as it passed by her cheek. She paled- she had felt it slice her cheek. She slowly raised a hand to her cheek, and then brought it in front of her face- there was blood. She looked back at the clones, who all looked ready to attack. She gulped. "I, uh, um... I... I forfeit!"

Hayate nodded. "This battle is over! The winner, by forfeit, is Mubi!"

Mubi came up from under the ground right behind Ino. Se yelled as she jumped away from him. He chuckled. "As Oboro would say... 'lucky'."

Ino felt completely empty inside. She had... lost. She had let her team down. She had let Sasuke down (not that he cared too much). Sakura appeared next to her. "Oh, that's just too _bad_, Ino. I guess there's always next time, right?"

Ino spun around and lashed out at Sakura, stopping her fist right before it hit Sakura in the face. Tears began streaming down the sides of her face. She slowly put down her hand and brought it back to her side. "You know, Sakura... you've changed. And I can't say that it's for the better, either. You can look better on the outside all you want... but it's the inside that counts." She quickly turned around and stormed out the door, one of the medics following her with a bandage in hand for her cheek.

As Sakura returned to her team, Kiba frowned. "That was mean-spirited of you..."

Sakura frowned back at him. "Ino and I have been rivals for a long time. We show no mercy to the other. That's always been our way. But..." She shook her head. "Never mind. Let's just get this over with. Kiba, make sure to win your match."

A grin replaced Kiba's frown. "Hey! You act like I can lose!" Akamaru gave a small bark, apparently agreeing with Kiba. Sakura gave a playful smirk. "Maybe you can. You never know."

Kankuro growled. "What's with all of these boring fights? They all go by too fast. We need a fight that lasts a while."

Temari smirked. "Here's your chance." Indeed, it was- on the board flashed the words "Kankuro VS Dosu Kinuta".

Kankuro gave a small smirk of his own as he jumped down onto the floor, taking the large package off of his back. Dosu appeared across from him. Dosu tilted his head. "I suggest you forfeit now..."

Kankuro shook his head. "Sorry, no can do. I've just got to make it to the next exam, and I'm not letting some punk from an unknown village stop me."

Hayate looked at both of them before nodding. "Seventh match, begin!"

Dosu immediately dashed towards Kankuro, his Melody Arm revealed. He punched Kankuro with his right hand, and it actually went _through_ Kankuro, his stomach splinting into pieces like a wall of wood, revealing that he was quite hollow inside. Dosu slapped his Melody Arm, and it began vibrating intensely. After a moment, all of Kankuro's limbs, in addition to his head, actually _detached_ from his body, flying to the distant corners of the room before his body shattered into a million pieces. The package he was carrying unwound, revealing another Kankuro inside, who grit his teeth. "You...! Do you have any idea how long that takes to replace?!"

Dosu sneered under his bandages. "Well, better the puppet than your life, right?"

Kankuro's eyes narrowed. His fingers twitched, and the various wooden parts of the puppet- four arms, and two legs- all levitated behind Dosu, blades extending from where they were attached to the main body. The blades all began pointing at Dosu. Kankuro smirked. "You sure you don't want to be the one to forfeit?"

Dosu narrowed his eyes, and in an instant, he was holding Kankuro from behind, a kunai to his neck. "I know what you're planning... that puppet of yours makes an infernal clacking sound... so unless you feel like stabbing yourself along with me, I suggest you surrender."

Kankuro's smirk remained. Another twitch of the fingers, and the head of the puppet- which had three eyes and long shaggy hair- appeared right behind them, it's jagged mouth wide open. Dosu heard the clacking sound that it made as it opened its mouth, and immediately turned around, holding Kankuro in front of him. He pushed Kankuro forward as a barrage of needles came from the puppet's maw, which proceeded to impale Kankuro all over his body, those that missed tearing his clothes and cutting his skin. Kankuro fell backwards, the various body parts of the puppet falling to the ground along with him. Hayate checked Kankuro. _Good, he's not dead..._ "Winner: Dosu!"

Temari grit her teeth, and then yelled at the medics, who were walking with the stretcher relatively slowly compared to other times. "Hurry up! He's been poisoned!" The medics' eyes widened, and they began walking much faster.

As they extracted him from the room, the board began flashing through the available names once more. Lee pumped his arm. "I want to be the one to go next!"

Naruto shook his head. "No way, it's going to be me who goes."

Their eyes waited impatiently as the names kept flashing. Eventually, it stopped, and settled on two names. Naruto sighed. "Man, it's neither of us..."

**Kasek: **You know, I really ought to just stop here. Sorry if they seemed a little short, but I just want to get past this part as quickly as possible... I'm not as good at battles as I'd like to think I am.

I was taking a walk in the rain the other day, and I came up with a good way to utilize the Akuma no Mi combined with Orochimaru's innate personality to make him even more of a creepy villain. I feel happy every time I think about it. Is it okay to feel happy when imagining acts of evil?

So tell me what you think. Criticism, constructive in particularly, is appreciated.

So, who's left... Temari, Gaara, Tenten, Lee, Neji, Shikamaru, Choji, Naruto, Kiba, and Kabuto... four matches. I think it's fairly obvious who's going to fight who at this point.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING. ZIP, NADA, ZILCH, ZERO.**

**Chapter 23: The Fox and the Hound**

"The winner of the eighth match is Temari!"

Temari stood in the center of the arena, various weapons scattered all over the battlefield around her. In her left hand she kept her giant fan, folded, perpendicular to the ground, it's top pressing against Tenten's back as she lay on top of it, unconscious. Temari smirked to herself as her hand twitched.

Both Naruto and Lee managed to pick up on it- Lee, however, was the one who jumped into the arena faster than what ought to be humanely possible, catching Tenten as she flew through the air. He grit his teeth as he placed her gently on the floor, trying not to let her touch any of the weapons. He glared at Temari. "Is that any way to treat someone who has given her all in battle?!"

Temari's smirk didn't fade from her features. "Shut up and get that loser out of here."

Lee's glare intensified. He immediately jumped at her, intending to kick her. However, his forward momentum was stopped in mid-air when he felt something holding his arm, and he quickly adjusted his weight and landed on his feet. He turned and glared at the offender- Naruto. "Naruto, why did you stop me?"

Naruto grit his teeth as he glared at Temari. "She's trying to provoke you. Don't let her get to you- people like her can't understand others' feelings. Truthfully, I pity people like her."

Temari tightened the grip she had on her fan. "What was that, brat?"

Gaara's voice reached her from above. "What are you waiting for? You've won your match. Stop wasting your time with those pathetic Konoha-nin."

Both Lee and Naruto glared at Gaara for this. Naruto raised a fist at Gaara. "You better hope neither of us is your opponent, Sabaku no Gaara... we'll pound you into the ground if we are." Gaara glared back at him intensely.

Temari laughed. "You? Beat Gaara? I'd like to see you try..."

Naruto grit his teeth, remembering what Kabuto had said about Gaara. "I've heard about his perfect record... personally, I hope I'm the one who gets to draw his blood first, though I wouldn't mind if another Konoha-nin beat me to it..."

Gai turned to Kakashi. "That's quite a student you have there, Kakashi..."

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "Wish I could say I taught him everything he knows..."

The three Genin headed back to the balcony as janitors removed the weapons for the arena, and medics removed Tenten. The sign began spinning through the available names. Naruto crossed his fingers. "Come on, come on, let it be me..."

Lee gripped the railing. "I have a strong feeling that it's going to be me."

Kiba began counting on his fingers. _Let's see... besides me, there's... Shikamaru, Choji, Kabuto, Neji, Lee, that Suna-nin, and... fox-boy. That's who I want to fight._ He smirked as it showed just the names he was hoping for: Uzumaki Naruto VS Inuzuka Kiba.

Naruto smiled. "About time! Wish me luck guys!" Hinata smiled and nodded, as did Sasuke. Naruto jumped back into the arena, Kyuumaru jumping off and to the side.

Kiba did the same, and raised an eyebrow at Kyuumaru. "Heh, I was right, you do have an affiliation with foxes..."

Naruto grinned. "Tell you what- I'll leave Kyuumaru here out of this if you leave your puppy out of it."

Kiba smirked. "No can do- he's my partner, after all."

Sakura frowned as she watched from above. "What's with that fox? He didn't have it on him earlier... I wonder if he uses the same techniques Kiba uses..."

Kurenai nodded as she looked closely at the fox. _It's wearing the same clothes as Naruto, down to a miniature waist-pouch... and its eyes, they're red... that is no ordinary fox..._

Kiba's smirk remained on his face. "I'll try to end it in one punch... make it quick and painless."

Naruto frowned. "Don't get so overconfident. How about I show you one of my punches, instead?

Kiba growled. "You'll have to show me this punch of yours, then... I doubt it will be able to take me down...

Hayate looked between them before coughing. "Begin!"

Kiba quickly knelt to the ground and put his hands together, his index and middle fingers stiking straight up. "Juu Ninpo: Shikyaku no jutsu!" He put his hands on the ground, and Naruto immediately noticed a difference in him- his hands and feet had developed claws instead of regular nails. In an instant, he disappeared, and reappeared in front of Naruto, his right elbow and knee striking at Naruto. Kiba's eyes widened when he realized that Naruto barely budged, his hands catching the two strikes. Kiba backed off, and his eyes widened at what he saw- Naruto had grown fangs and claws as well, and his eyes had become red, the pupils slitted.

Kurenai, who could see Naruto's face, was shocked. _This chakra... it's faint, but... is he using the Kyuubi's power?_

Gaara's own eyes widened. _That power... the Shukaku is all riled up... who is this kid?_

Naruto smirked. "What? Surprised to see me in a state similar to your own? But... it appears I'm far more powerful than you are." His smirk was more to himself than anyone- he remembered having to go through that training from Kyuumaru on how to draw on the Kyuubi's chakra at will. It took a little while, but the efforts were worth it- in this form, it was like he was a more compact version of his standard hybrid form, in both strength and speed.

Kiba growled as he withdrew two pellets from his pouch. "Let's go, Akamaru!" The two of them dashed at Naruto and Kyuumaru, with Kiba raising his arm. He threw the two pellets on the ground in front of Naruto, causing smoke to envelop the immediate area. Naruto immediately began taking punches from multiple directions. He decided that he'd need to do more than stand around to win, and ran out of the smoke so he could see, but was startled by Akamaru in mid air, poised to bite him. However, Kyuumaru came from his right and tackled Akamaru, both of them crashing into the ground. Kiba growled at what he saw when the smoke cleared- two Narutos, one of them holding Akamaru in the air by his two front paws. Kiba growled as his eyes widened. _He can use... my clan's techniques! But when did he have time to...? _He reached into his pouch and pulled out two more pellets, flicking one at Akamaru while putting the other in his own mouth. "It's time I got serious..."

Kyuumaru raised an eyebrow as the pellet flew through the air, and to satisfy his own curiosity, lifted the dog so he could catch it in his mouth. Naruto turned and glared at him for it, but he didn't really care. The dog's fur began bristling as it turned red, growling deeply. He kicked off of Kyuumaru, forcing him to let go, and Akamaru landed next to Kiba. Naruto turned his focus to Akamaru. "What kind of pill turns fur red...?"

Kiba smirked. "This is why he's called 'Akamaru'..."

Kurenai's eyes narrowed. _He intends to end it here... but can he stand against the Kyuubi's power?_

Akamaru jumped on Kiba's back as Kiba crouched once more, his hands in the same seal as before. "Here we go, Akamaru!" Akamaru barked in reply. Unknown to the others, he was calling out a jutsu. _Jin Ninpo..._ "Ju Ninpo..." "_Jujin Bunshin no jutsu!_" A cloud of smoke covered the two of them, and when it cleared, it revealed two Kibas- one on top of the other- growling ferally, both having claws.

Naruto gulped. "Soldier pills, huh..."

Shikamaru was surprised. "What the heck did he eat?!"

Choji frowned. "A soldier pill. It's a special pill filled with nutrients and a special stimulant that's supposed to let a soldier fight for three days and nights without resting... Kiba and Akamaru's chakra has most likely increased by a ton."

Asuma frowned himself. "Releasing all of that chakra and fighting like a wild beast... it's perfect for Kiba."

Kiba and Akamaru both dashed straight for Naruto, who began to easily dodge all of their strikes. To the others, it was all a blur. Sasuke even activated his Sharingan to keep up. Naruto smirked. "Hey, I might even need to use a technique or two..."

Kiba growled. "Why you...!" He was cut off by a punch to his gut- from Kyuumaru, no less. Kyuumaru growled back to him. "Did you forget that this was a two-on-two?"

Kiba coughed as he stepped back a few steps. _What the- the Jujin Bunshin doesn't allow an animal to talk! What's going on here?_ He jumped backwards, Akamaru appearing next to him. "Come on, Akamaru! Time for our ultimate technique!" They dashed forward, and hen began twisting their bodies to the side. They then began twisting the other way, and all of a sudden they didn't appear as Kiba's, but they were spinning so fast that they looked like grey screws or tornadoes. "Getsuga!"

They approached Naruto at a rapid pace, and even though Naruto stepped to the side, he was still scratched. They began bouncing all around the room, trying to hit Naruto as often as possible, ignoring Kyuumaru, scratching him up badly. They both skidded to a stop, and Kiba smirked. "How did you like that?!"

Naruto looked at his scratched up body, and narrowed his eyes as the cuts began to heal. "An attack of that level... you think to beat me with that?"

Kiba growled. "What was that?"

Naruto glared at him. "Make sure you're really trying to kill me- anything less won't be able to beat me."

Kakashi smirked. So the kid listened to him after all. Kiba growled again. "Why you-! Getsuga!" Kiba and Akamaru began their attack again. They were intercepted by an orange colored Getsuga, causing all three Getsugas to break apart, revealing the two Kibas and Kyuumaru. Kyuumaru smirked. "Heh... that attack isn't so bad... I think I'll keep it for myself. I did do it right, right?"

Kiba's breath hitched. _That fox... just up and copied my Getsuga? What the heck is going on around here?!_

Kyuumaru's smirk remained. "But... I don't think that was a worthy test-run... I want to try it again..." He began running towards Akamaru. "Take this! Getsuga!" He turned back into the orange tornado, and went right by Akamaru. He turned around and hit him again, and again. Akamaru soon fell to the gorund, and in a poof of smoke, the Jujin Bunshin was released, and Akamaru was back to normal. Kyuumaru smirked again. "There... now that this guy is out of the battle, I feel a little bit satisfied... shame I'm not allowed to kill right now...

Kiba gulped, and turned his attention to Naruto. _It's all or nothing! _"Getsuga!"

As he sped towards Naruto, Naruto frowned. "That reminds me... you wanted to see if I can punch, right?" As Kiba was just about to hit Naruto, Naruto punched straight down on top of him, stopping the Getsuga in its tracks and slamming Kiba into the ground, fracturing the pavement and leaving an impression of Naruto's fist in Kiba's face. After several moments, Hayate coughed- he knew Kiba wasn't going to get up from that, and even if he did, he was clearly outpowered.

"The winner of the ninth match is Uzumaki Naruto!"

There was clapping to be heard from Sasuke, which was quickly emulated by Hinata. Naruto grinned at them as he ran back to them, Kyuumaru quickly following in his Fennec form. Kurenai's eyes widened again when she saw the transformation. _There wasn't a poof of smoke or anything... but a visible transition from one form to the other... this is too weird. I'll have to ask the Hokage about his apprentice and his little pet later._

Sakura frowned. "So... Kiba lost after all."

Shino nodded. "Yes... that Naruto is not to be underestimated, at all costs..."

Temari glanced at Gaara. _He's shaking... the demon inside of him must be getting excited..._

Hayate coughed. "It's time to announce the fighters for the tenth match." The screen began flashing through the last six names, each name obviously appearing with much more frequency than previous times.

Shikamaru frowned to himself. _This is bad... there are only strong guys left. Me and Choji are going to fail for sure..._

Kabuto was also frowning to himself. _With both the Hyuuga and the Suna Jinchuuriki here, I might actually have to fight... what is Orochimaru-sama thinking, making me fight here?_

Lee pumped his fist. _Neji or the Suna guy... Neji or the Suna guy..._

When the board finally stopped, many were stunned. Shikamaru stepped back a bit. "N-no way..."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Those two...?"

Shino stood straighter than usual. "Well, even the unexpected must be expected here..."

Sasuke frowned. "How unfortunate... for those two to be paired together."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah, I guess you could call it that..."

Choji gulped as he read the board aloud. "Nara Shikamaru... versus... Akimichi... Choji."

**Kasek:** Mwahaha! Evil cliffie!

For all you One Piece fans, I wonder if you saw the ending to Naruto and Kiba's fight coming. I instilled the clue there :3 Personally, the scene that that's a tribute to is one of my favorite scenes of all time.

So, I actually want your guys' opinions on this. Do you want:

A: Neji VS Kabuto, Gaara VS Lee,

or

B: Neji VS Lee, Gaara VS Kabuto,

or

C: Lee VS Kabuto, Neji VS Gaara

I'm very much inclined towards the first, least inclined towards the third. Story-wise, the first two are the best. For A, we still get the Gaara VS Lee fight, and I get to do this scene I really want to do with Naruto and Neji. For B, we get... Lee not getting maimed, but Kabuto does. For C, we'd probably get Lee getting his muscles getting snapped and him still being a cripple, _and_ Neji getting maimed. Notice that all three of these require someone getting maimed. Choose wisely.

Thanks to Deathdingle to pointing out a major flaw in this chapter- I accidentally left Hinata in the audience. OOPS.


	24. Chapter 24

**Kasek: **Yikes. One of the options beat out the others by far. You'll see which one it was shortly. Also, let me know if you see any mistakes, I'm typing on a different keyboard (my laptop's power cord broke AGAIN) and I keep making typos.

**Disclaimer: I own neither One Piece nor Naruto**

**Chapter 24: Teammates Tussle Times Two**

Shikamaru and Choji slowly walked down to the arena together. Unknown to the others, and contradicting his laid-back appearance, Shikamaru's mind was racing, thinking of every possible strategy. By the time he had reached the floor, he had already narrowed it down to three possibilities. The first was fight, and win (highly unlikely, in his mind, if Choji started his jutsu before Shikamaru could start his own). The second was fight, and lose; much more likely to happen. The final one was to just surrender; it seemed by far to be the most intelligent option, but he wondered if he could ever forgive himself for that.

The two friends stared each other down as they stood in front of Hayate. Choji narrowed his eyes. "Shikamaru... give it your best shot."

Shikamaru signed. "Well, there goes any thought of surrendering right off... so be it. I won't go easy on you, Choji."

Hayate looked between the two Genin. "Let the tenth match... begin!"

Choji immediately placed his hands through two seals- Ram, then Bird. "Baika no jutsu!" Choji's body swelled, and everything but his limbs and head expanded greatly, so that he looked more of a human bowling ball than before, but his size indicated that he was more of a wrecking ball.

Shikamaru grimaced as he reached into his waist pouch for supplies. _I'm going to need to time this just right..._ Choji's arms and legs, as well as his heads retracted into his body, streams of chakra exiting the holes in his clothes. He began to spin in place, a high pitched squealing reaching everybody's ears as he began to spin more and more rapidly, everything about him becoming a blur. His voice came out from inside the giant orb of flesh. "Nikudan Sensha!"

The giant ball suddenly moved, racing towards Shikamaru. Shikamaru braced for what was coming. _Wait for it... wait for it... now!_ He threw several spiked caltrops in front of him as he ran to the side, hoping that Choji would run over the caltrops instead of himself. As Shikamaru ran out of the way, he had no such luck- Choji seemed to bounce right over them before turning towards Shikamaru.

Shikamaru found himself running straight for the wall. _Shoot, the wall... wait, I can use this. _He tensed his face as Choji once again advanced towards him. _Wait for it... now!_ He jumped to the left as he reached the wall, causing Choji to stop for a minute as he was stuck in the hole in the wall. He began spinning the other way, and pulled himself out of the wall. He stopped to turn towards Shikamaru, and then stopped altogether- everyone was surprised by the sight of Choji and Shikamaru having one connecting shadow. Shikamaru smirked. "Kagemane no jutsu, success."

Choji shrunk down to his normal size, and stared down Shikamaru. "Well, you got me, now what?"

Shikamaru frowned as he began walking to forward and to his right, Choji doing the same. "You know, that's a good question... I'm not a combat-type shinobi, but a support-type. If I had allies, you'd be finished. How to finish you off, then..." He stopped when Choji was right by the wall, and turned to him. Choji's back was completely to the wall. Shikamaru gave a smirk. He reached into his shuriken holster and pulled out some shuriken, Choji doing the same. "Well, I could always just throw these and hope that I hit you without you hitting me."

Choji's eyes widened. "Don't! Let me go and I'll forfeit, but don't hurt yourself!"

Shikamaru grit his teeth. "Choji! You were the one who convinced me not to forfeit- I won't let you do the same." He threw his shuriken, Choji emulating his actions. Shikamaru quickly leaned backwards to avoid the shuriken as they reached him, Choji still forced to follow him, but with one key difference- Choji's head hit the wall behind him, hard. Shikamaru released his jutsu, allowing Choji to slump to the floor. "Sorry about that, Choji."

A small laugh was heard from Choji, shocking Shikamaru. Choji slowly got up, looking Shikamaru in the eyes. "Sorry for what? I'm glad... that you didn't hold back. It's time we ended this, right?" He placed his hands through several more seals. "Bubun Baika no jutsu! Arm!" Choji's right arm grew to a great size, taking up a good portion of the room length-wise, the hand itself taller than Shikamaru. He brought it forward, and slapped Shikamaru, sending him flying. Shikamaru slammed into the far wall, and slumped to the ground.

Hayate appeared next to him, and checked him. "Shikamaru is out cold! The winner of the tenth match is Akimichi Choji!"

There was clapping from the remaining members of the Rookie Nine. None of them had expected Choji to be, well... so strong. Not that they were expecting much from Shikamaru, either. Asuma patted Choji on the back when he returned. "Well done, Choji. I think you just earned yourself an all you can eat BBQ dinner."

Choji smiled. "As long as you invite Shikamaru and Ino, too."

Hayate coughed as he watched the names rolled once more. Only four left- Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, Yakushi Kabuto, and Sabaku no Gaara. He blinked- he could've sworn that it showed the same name on both sides of the VS symbol at the same time. Must've been a trick caused by the speed the names were flashing by.

Naruto grinned. "Hey, Lee, want to bet that you get to go this time?"

Lee shook his head. "No. I don't care if I go. Since we're this far, I might as well go last."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, and gave a slight shake of his own head. "Well, if you insist..."

The names stopped flashing by- the board read "Hyuuga Neji VS Rock Lee". Lee pumped his fist. "Yosh! I knew I would go next! I just acted like I didn't want to go so it would pick me!" He turned to Neji. "Let's go, Neji! It is time we settle this once and for all!"

Neji glared at him. "Just because it has been a while since we last fought does not mean that the results will change. You will lose, just as you always have."

Naruto frowned at Neji. "Hey, what's with the attitude, Neji? I don't remember you being so mean..."

Neji focused his glare on Naruto, flickering to Hinata for a moment. "That is none of your concern, Naruto. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a fight to win."

Lee jumped from the balcony and landed right where he needed to be. Neji opted to walk down. Sasuke frowned as he watched. "Two times in a row, two teammates have to face each other... I wonder who would've won if we had fought, Naruto?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Geez, make up your mind! Am I stronger than you or not?!"

Neji glared at Lee as he got into position. "I know you will not, but still, I will tell you this once. Forfeit the match, or forfeit your life."

Lee shook his head as he got into his customary stance- one hand held in front of him, one behind his back. "As you said, you know I can not, Neji."

Neji sighed, the veins around his eyes bulging to indicate his Byakugan being activated as he settled into his fighting stance. "So be it..."

Hayate coughed, and then raised his hand. "Let the eleventh match, begin!"

Lee immediately charged at his opponent and jumped into the air, bringing his left leg for a kick. Neji ducked under the kick, but Lee had spun around, landed on the ground, and brought his leg about to kick at him again. Neji grabbed the foot and turned around, throwing Lee behind him. Lee landed on his feet, and immediately dashed towards his opponent. Lee's fists seemed to fly out at Neji haphazardly, and Neji seemed to block each one with a well calculated slap, pushing it to the side.

Lee gave a sweeping kick, forcing Neji to jump in the air to dodge it. Lee spun around and attempted to kick him again before he landed, but was surprised to find that Neji's jump had carried him up and over Lee. Lee immediately ducked, Neji's palm passing through the air his chest had just occupied. Lee again made a leg sweep, and again Neji jumped over it, only this time it was a short hop, landing as Lee kicked into the air above him with his left leg.

Neji made to press his palm against his Lee's chest while he was still pulling his leg back, but Lee simultaneously did a backflip and kicked at Neji with his right leg. Neji pulled back, and resumed his fighting stance as Lee resumed his assault.

Naruto whistled at the display as Lee and Neji continued their standoff, neither being able to truly land a hit on the other. "Almost looks choreographed…"

Sasuke smirked, his Sharingan active- he wanted to memorize every move they made. "Well, they are teammates. They must know each other's fighting styles extremely well."

Gai smiled, not noticing Sasuke's Sharingan. "That is very true. Lee has dedicated himself to defeating Neji, and Neji has, for the most part, memorized Lee's fighting style. However…"

Naruto frowned. "At this rate, neither will be able to claim victory."

Gai nodded. "You're right. Lee! Take them off!"

Lee's eyes widened as he backed off from Neji, jumping on top of the large handseal statue. "But, Gai-sensei! That is only for a time I must protect many precious people!"

Gai smiled, the light glinting off of his teeth. "That's alright, I'll allow it this once!"

Lee seemed very glad. "Yosh! My rival, it is time for you to see what I can really do!" he crouched down and removed his leg warmers, revealing weights that had the kanji for 'guts' written all over them. He pulled off the weights, and then replaced his leg warmers.

Neji frowned. "Those weights? It's been a long time since I've seen you without them, but you really think that that will help you?"

Kakashi looked towards Gai. "What an out-dated training method…" Gai merely smiled.

Lee dropped the weights, and everyone watched them drop to the ground. The moment they touched the ground, there were two large explosions of dust and dirt. Neji's eyes widened as he turned to his sensei. _The weights were… THAT heavy?!_

Kakashi covered his mouth with his hand to hide that it was hanging open, though it was hard to tell with his mask on. "Isn't that a bit much…?"

Gai pointed towards Neji. "Lee! Go!"

A dark smirk came upon Lee's face, shouting "YES!" before he disappeared completely. Sasuke watched in awe as Lee jumped to the ceiling, ran across it, and jumped down behind Neji… in two blinks of an eye.

Lee punched at Neji, who didn't even turn around before tilting his head to a hard left, before spinning around to face… nothing. Lee appeared behind Neji again, and kicked at him, only for Neji to again barely twist out of the way. Lee appeared to his left, and made a leg sweep, knocking Neji's legs from under him, before making a complete spin and kicking Neji hard in the back, sending him up high into the air.

Naruto again whistled at the display. "That guy… he specializes in Taijutsu, above all else."

Gai nodded. "That's right. He spends all of his time on Taijutsu… because he can't do anything else."

Before Gai could explain further, Lee appeared above Neji, attempting to punch him in the face. Neji twisted out of way, but Lee's punch actually cut his cheek. Lee punched again, this time at Neji's stomach, and the hit connected, sending Neji straight back towards the floor. Some bile escaped from Neji's mouth when he bounced off of the ground. He slowly got up, and panted heavily. "What's going on? How can that… that _loser_ beat me?"

Lee appeared right in front of him. "You don't seem to understand, Neji… people can change. Myself, from a loser to a winner… yourself, from an exalted genius to a ninja ashamed of his loss to said loser."

Neji grit his teeth. "Why you-!" He dashed at Lee, his palm raised to strike, before he could land the blow, Lee disappeared again. "What the-!" Neji was lifted into the air by a kick to his chin, sending him flying. Lee looked towards Gai, who shook his head. Lee nodded, and did not pursue his enemy. Neji landed on the ground- hard. He did not get back up. Hayate coughed. "The winner- Rock Lee!"

A smile slowly crept onto Lee's face. "I… I did it… I won! Gai-sensei, I won! All of my hard work paid off!" Gai appeared next to Lee as the medics dashed in and grabbed Neji. Lee gulped as tears formed in his eyes. "Gai-sensei…!"

Gai himself was starting to cry. "Lee!"

Lee hugged his sensei as tightly as possible, his legs failing him. "Gai-sensei…!"

Gai knelt down and hugged him back. "Lee! Say no more. I am proud of you. We will celebrate afterwards, but for now, let us go back to the balcony to watch the final match!"

Lee nodded without saying anything, and the two of them quickly made their way back to their spot next to Team 7. Naruto raised an eyebrow at their antics. "Anyone get the feeling that we're missing a big chunk of what's going on here?"

Sasuke nodded, his Sharingan no longer active- he had had a very hard time tracking Lee's movements, and even then, he knew there was no way he could react to them if that had been him fighting down there. He was going to have to get Kakashi to find him some of those weights. "Yeah, but… a happy ending is a happy ending, I guess."

Kabuto grit his teeth as the board displayed the last two names available- Gaara VS Yakushi Kabuto. _What am I going to do? I can't go all out, but I somehow get the feeling that even that wouldn't let me win…He's a Jinchuuriki, after all, and he knows how to use his powers…_

Gaara disappeared in a swirl of sand, reappearing in the arena in another swirl. Kabuto slowly walked down to the arena, contemplating several plans in his head. Gaara growled. "Hurry up."

Kabuto did not hurry, and after a moment reached his spot across from Gaara. Hayate coughed. "Let the final match… begin!"

The cork on the gourd on Gaara's back popped off and attempted to hit Kabuto in the face, which he smoothly dodged. Sand began pouring out of the gourd, which moved about in front of Gaara as if it were alive. Naruto's eyes widened. "What's up with that sand…?"

Sasuke activated his Sharingan. "That's weird… the color of the chakra in the sand is different from the regular chakra in his body…" He turned to Naruto, and looked at Kyuumaru on top of his head. "Actually, Kyuumaru there has three chakra colors, while you have two- he has yellow, orange, and red, while you only have a ton of yellow and some orange hidden within you."

Naruto nodded. "I guess the orange is the Akuma no Mi, then… so does that mean he has an Akuma no Mi ability, too?"

Sasuke nodded. "Most likely… Hinata said that that Kin girl had one, so while the odds are pretty low that there are three of you guys here... there's still a possibility."

The sand seemed to gather up, and then became a very large wave that completely obstructed Gaara from Kabuto's view- Kabuto smirked, as it also meant that vice versa was true. The large wave towered over Kabuto, and then crashed down. Gaara frowned as he seemed to realize that he hadn't hit anything with his sand. A moment later, two hands burst from the ground behind him and grabbed his ankles. Gaara toppled over as the sand wrapped around the two hands and pulled them out of the ground, Kabuto not too far behind. Gaara growled as he was unable to stand on his feet. "What… did you do?!"

Kabuto smirked. "I cut your Achilles tendon in both of your feet… you won't be standing up for a long while. I'd go see a medic nin about that if I were you."

Gaara growled again, and the sand began wrapping around Kabuto's legs. "Can't walk, huh? Then… I'll return the favor." He held out his hand, and slowly closed it after Kabuto's legs were completely wrapped in the sand. "Sabaku Soso!"

Kabuto nearly bit his tongue off at the intense pain as it seemed like his legs imploded. The sand retreated, and as he collapsed onto his rear, everyone was shocked and horrified at the twisted and broken limbs that were covered in blood. Gaara sneered. "I'd go see a medic nin about that if I were you…"

Naruto was quite pale. "That's just twisted…" Sasuke himself was a little green.

Kabuto managed to speak up after a moment. "I… I'm unable to continue, I forfeit."

Hayate coughed into his hand. "The winner of the final match, by forfeit, is Gaara!"

The sand, for the most part, retracted into the gourd, and then the remaining sand began to clump together at the opening of the gourd until it formed a new cork. The medic-ninja came out and grabbed Kabuto, putting him on a stretcher and taking him away. Yet more made for Gaara, but he growled at them. Baki, his sensei, appeared next to him. "Gaara, just because you have never been injured before does not mean that you do not need help now that you are. Do not touch them, let them help you."

Gaara glared at his Jonin sensei. "At the very least, let me stay until this is over… then I will allow myself to be… treated." Baki gulped, and nodded. He couldn't really believe he had stood up to Gaara, but at least Gaara hadn't exactly said 'no'. Another thing he couldn't really believe was that Kabuto had somehow managed to get past Gaara's shield- it must've been pure luck, because his attack had come from underground, where it could not be seen, even by the demon inside of Gaara.

Hayate coughed. "With this, the preliminary round of the third exam is completed! Would all of the winners please assemble down here?"

Everyone complied- all of the winners of the matches (aside from Hinata, who was in the infirmary), lined up in front of Hayate, Gaara levitating over to where he needed to be on a cloud of sand. Hayate coughed again as Ibiki, Anko, and Hiruzen lined up next to him. "To all of you who won the rights to participate in the third exam… well, one of you is missing, but… congratulations!"

Hiruzen scanned the winners, taking a puff from his pipe. _Seven from Konoha, two each from Suna and Oto, and one from Ame… _

Hayate glanced at the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, if you would?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Yes… now, I would like to start explaining the main exam… as I said before, everyone will be able to see your matches. Each of you will fight to represent the strengths of your countries. I'd like to see each of you show off all of your strengths, without holding back. Which is why… the finals will be held a month from now. You can say this is for preparations… not only to assemble all of the important people who will be watching, but for you, as well. Now that you've seen what everybody is capable of, you are to take this time to calculate your chances of winning by taking the data you've accumulated so far.

"This preliminary had you fighting under the conditions of a real combat situation- fighting an opponent with unknown abilities. But this is not the case with the final exam… there are those here who showed all that they have against their opponents, and those who were injured because they held back or faced a strong opponent. This month is to improve yourselves, come up with something new, or to rest should you have been too injured."

Naruto's thoughts drifted to Hinata, and he wondered if she was going to be alright.

Hiruzen let another puff of smoke escape his lips. "Well, here, I'd like to let you go, but… there is one last thing we need to do before the finals. There are pieces of paper of paper inside the box that Anko is holding, so each of you take a piece."

Anko smirked. "I'll come to you, so wait your turn!" She started with Dosu, who was on the far left. He pulled up his sleeve and reached into the box. Anko's smirk didn't fade. "Only one, now, you don't want to know what'll happen if you take more…"

Kin was next, followed by Naruto. He reached into the box, and carefully removed a folded piece of paper. He looked at it as he unfolded it. There was a big, bold '1' on it. _One? What's this for?_

**Kasek:** I'll stop here, because, again, I want to hear your guys' opinion on who should fight who. Make sure to include a good reason as to why they should fight. I already have a good idea of what I want the match-ups to be but if you can make a convincing argument as to why who should fight who, I might change my mind.

Also, I managed to come up with a way to make Kabuto being a cripple fit into the storyline, hehe. I shall miss having the opportunity that Naruto VS Neji would present… maybe I'll include what would've happened in an omake. What do you guys think of that? It might even explain away why Neji is still a jerk even though his father is still alive. Also, I apologize if Shikamaru VS Choji was a bit of a downer… I built up suspense and everything ToT However, I hope everyone realizes just how altered the storyline is now that Shikamaru's lost his chance to become a Chunin. I'm taking a risk here, but I'm going to go through with it.

One last thing: I just realized that by going through with Lee VS Neji, I missed out on a very good opportunity to turn Lee into a cyborg. Unless Lee fights Gaara in the finals…

List of people who are still in the exams:

Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, Gaara, Temari, Dosu, Kin, Shino, Sakura, Choji, Lee, Mubi.

**Spoilers for who I want to fight who:**

.

.

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Naruto VS Lee, Hinata VS Dosu, Choji VS Kin, Temari VS Sakura, Shino VS Mubi, Sasuke VS Gaara (though the last one will be a bit different from canon)


	25. Chapter 25

**Kasek: **This chapter is brought to you by the letter D!

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor One Piece**

**Chapter 25: Of Demons and Devils**

Hiruzen looked towards Ibiki as Mubi drew his paper. Ibiki had a clipboard with paper in it in hand, and a marker to write with. He then turned back to the gathered Genin. "Alright, starting from the left, call out your numbers."

Dosu was first. "I have the number ten..."

Kin was second. "I have twelve."

Naruto was third. "I'm number one!"

Sasuke's voice was carrying complete confidence. "I have seven."

Temari frowned as she looked at her number. "I'm four..."

Gaara's response was as short as possible. "Eight."

Choji gulped. "I have eleven..."

Lee pumped his fist in excitement. "I am number two!"

Shino was silent for a moment longer than necessary. "...five."

Sakura seemed even more confident than Sasuke. "Three!"

Mubi sighed. "I have six..."

Ibiki finished marking his paper, and looked towards his Hokage. "That means she's number nine..."

Hiruzen nodded, and smiled at the Genin. "All right then... it's time we revealed to you... the final tournament!"

Lee's eyes seemed to sparkle. "A tournament? I will do my best!"

Hiruzen chuckled at Lee's enthusiasm. "Ibiki here will reveal to you the tournament roster..."

Ibiki turned his clipboard over, and they could each clearly see who they were going to fight. The first match was Naruto VS Lee, and the second was Sakura VS Temari. Third was Shino VS Mubi, and the fourth match was Sasuke VS Gaara. The fifth was Hinata VS Dosu, and the final match was Choji VS Kin. There were three separate blocks, and the winner of the third block would face the winner of the fight between the winners of the first and second blocks.

Naruto leaned forward and looked down towards Lee, who turned to him and gave him a thumbs-up, and when he smiled, the light glinted off of his teeth at an impossible brightness.

Dosu frowned under his bandages. _Not even in the same block as Sasuke..._

Temari frowned for a different reason. _What? Just a regular old tournament?_

Hiruzen let some smoke escape from his mouth. "Now then, if there aren't any last questions..."

Naruto spoke up- something was eating at him. "Wait, if it's a tournament... then does that mean that there's only one winner, one Chunin?"

Hiruzen smirked- Naruto was more intelligent than some gave him credit for, even Naruto himself. "No, no. There will be a panel of judges- myself, the Kazekage, the leaders of of various ninja villages, the lords of the countries... they will judge your qualities, and anyone deemed worthy will be promoted. So, even if you lose in your first match, you can be promoted."

Temari narrowed her eyes. "So, there's a possibility everyone here will become a Chunin?"

Hiruzen sighed, and closed his eyes. He hated to be the bearer of bad news... "Well, yes, there's that, but there's also the chance... that nobody will become a Chunin. Advancing in the tournament merely means that you get more chances to show off. So! If that's all, then you all are dismissed until a month for now! I thank you all for the energy you have put into these trials!"

--

Naruto opened the door slowly, and peeked inside. He opened it fully and admitted himself, Sasuke, and Kakashi into the room- Kyuumaru had been forced to stay outside due to being a fox. Hinata looked up from her book- Naruto gave a slight frown as he noticed that she was covered in bandages, even under her hospital gown, giving her the appearance of a mummy. Hinata forced herself to smile. "Hello... how did the rest of the preliminaries go?"

Naruto smirked as the memory of his battle returned to the forefront of his mind. "I pounded Kiba into the ground, for one."

Hinata smiled. "I'm glad... we all made it through, then. Did they tell you what the third exam is going to be?"

Naruto sighed. "It's going to be more fights... its a tournament."

Hinata nodded. "I see... I guess I'm not going to be able to get as much training in as you guys are..."

Naruto frowned at the thought of Hinata losing her chance to become a Chunin while he went on ahead. "That's..."

Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, guessing what he was thinking. "Don't worry, Hinata will be able to get plenty of training in with her father, as will Sasuke... he'll be training under me."

Naruto frowned. "You're making it sound like that you're not going to train me..."

Kakashi smiled under his mask. Naruto continued to prove he wasn't as stupid as he looked. "Nope. I'm leaving your training in someone else's capable hands.

Naruto's frown deepened. "Really? And who would that be?"

Kakashi's smile did not waver. "I have no clue. Hokage-sama said that he had arranged for this guy to teach you. Why don't you go find the Hokage, and then he can introduce you. Oh, he mentioned that you should bring Kyuumaru along, too."

Naruto nodded. "I'll go look for him, then. See ya, Hinata! Hope you get well soon!"

As he left, Sasuke clicked his tongue. "Geez... he could've stayed a little longer..."

Hinata smiled. "That's... Naruto for you..."

As Naruto walked down the hallway, he noticed a name on one of the rooms. "Yakushi Kabuto... I guess I can check in on him..." He opened the door, and was surprised at what he found inside- nothing. Kabuto was not in his bed, nor was he anywhere else. Naruto supposed that he was probably somewhere around the hospital in a wheelchair.

"Hello, Uzumaki."

Naruto nearly jumped, and turned around- speaking of wheelchairs, Gaara had somehow managed to sneak up on him while in one himself. Because he was in a wheelchair, there was a distinct lack of a sand-filled gourd. "Gaara? Heh, sitting in a chair suits you... all you need now is a desk and the robes, and you'd make a fine Kazekage."

Gaara raised a non-existent eyebrow. "Kazekage is not something I aim for... nor is it something a weapon like myself could ever achieve."

Naruto frowned. "Aren't all shinobi supposed to be weapons, tools of their villages?"

Gaara shook his head. "Those kinds of tools are raised... I was born a weapon. I exist to kill, and by killing, I validate my existence, prove that I'm alive."

Naruto shivered. That was unnecessarily creepy. "Geez... there are other ways to prove that you're alive, you know."

Gaara glared at Naruto. "Am I to prove that I exist through pain? I do not feel pain... the sand always protects me from harm, whether I want it to or not." Gaara realized that for whatever reason, he was talking with someone about his past. Why? What was so special about this boy that he felt like talking with him?

Naruto sighed, before leaning towards Gaara and poking him in the forehead, causing Gaara to completely freeze. "I don't see any sand, do you?" He poked Gaara again, and then Gaara swatted his hand away before rubbing the spot Naruto had poked. Naruto grinned. "See? You felt _that_."

Gaara growled at the blond. "If I had my sand, I'd kill you."

Naruto chuckled, thinking the threat empty. "Come on, is that any way to treat a guy who's trying to be your friend?"

Gaara glared at Naruto as hard as he could. Did this boy not understand? "I don't need friends... I never have. Besides, no one in their right mind would be friends with a monster such as myself..." Again! Why did he feel the need to talk about himself to this... this... he didn't know _what_ to call the boy.

Naruto froze- he knew what that felt like... he would wonder what he ever did to deserve friends... "Well, that's what I used to say... I'm a monster, too, you know. But... I have people who accept me for who I am... and because of them, I don't feel like I'm the monster that the village makes me out to be."

Gaara grit his teeth. Those words... they ignited a fire in him. And not the good kind, either. "What would you know of being a monster?! You don't know what it's like, having a monster sealed inside of you since birth, affecting you, haunting you, and having everyone you meet treat you as a monster because of it!"

Naruto's eyes widened. _That's _what he meant by 'monster'? He let out a small sigh. It wouldn't hurt _too_ much to let this boy know... "Yes... I do. For as long as I can remember, I've had this creature within my belly... people call it the Kyuubi no Youko. It came to this village, thirteen years ago, and after it had caused much death and destruction, the Yondaime Hokage sealed it into a baby boy... me. The village has hated me ever since. If I didn't have the few people who love me... I'd go insane. I'd probably be just like you... in fact, I can remember times I _was_ like you. But... every time I met with those who loved me... the feelings of hate and despair, of utter loneliness, went away.

"You said that your sand protects you, right? If it's a shield... then use it to protect others. My sensei told me that one's true strength comes out only when protecting what is precious to you."

Gaara frowned. "The only thing precious to me is myself... I love only myself. I love no one else, and no one else loves me. And I'm just fine with that."

They heard Temari's voice as she approached them. "Gaara! There you are! I was worried sick about you! You shouldn't wander around by yourself. You've never been without your sand before, you never know _what_ could happen to you." She glared at Naruto. "You! You're one of the guys in the exams... you weren't planning on hurting him, were you?"

Naruto smiled. What Gaara said and what was truth were two different things entirely. "In a hospital? Never! We were just having a friendly chat, is all." He turned to Gaara, and winked. "Let me know if you change your mind, alright?"

As he walked off, Temari sighed, and then grabbed the handlebars on the back of Gaara's wheelchair and started carting him off. "So, what was that about?"

Gaara closed his eyes. "Just... a friendly chat between peers, that's all." Temari's face showed her surprise, though Gaara couldn't see it. _Why would he call that boy... a 'peer'?_

It was not long before Naruto found himself at the Hokage Tower, Kyuumaru walking besides him. It took a little arguing with the clerk, but he was able to secure a small audience with the Hokage himself in a small window of Hiruzen's schedule. After a short time of waiting, he was admitted into the old man's office, and Naruto was surprised to see that Jiraiya was in there with him. "Sarutobi-sensei, I've heard that you've arranged for someone to teach me for the next month..."

Hiruzen chuckled. "Yes, yes, I did tell Kakashi that, didn't I? Well... you're teacher is right here." His eyes pointed Naruto towards Jiraiya.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "That pervert? Why him?"

Jiraiya's face twitched for a moment. "Kid, you're forgetting that I'm one of the legendary Sannin! Not only that, but I'm a sennin, too! You're a very special ninja, and that means you require a very special teacher! Besides, is that anyway to treat me after having not seen me in so long?"

Kyuumaru snorted. "Yeah, yeah... why am I here again?"

Jiraiya eyed the small fox. "So, this is the great Kyuubi no Youko... miss your other eight tails?"

Kyuumaru snorted again. He hated humans, he really did. "It is of little consequence... just having a material body is good enough for now."

Jiraiya rubbed his chin. "You have all of the same abilities as Naruto, right?"

Kyuumaru quickly transformed into his human form, and made sure that they noticed his claws. "And more... I have much better control of my powers than Naruto does."

Jiraiya smirked. "I see... I guess you can be my assistant, then!"

Kyuumaru gave him a blank stare. "...say what?"

Jirraiya pointed at himself with his thumb. "You heard me! You know how to control the powers better than Naruto, so you're going to help me teach him how to control them!"

Hiruzen watched bemusedly as Jiraiya and Kyuumaru started their little argument. "And why should I? He can take care of himself!"

Jiraiya shook his head. "But I could take him out no problem! If he managed to gain full control of his powers, the kid could become the greatest ninja since the Yondaime Hokage!"

Kyuumaru crossed his arms. "Oh, sure, another Yondaime... you think I liked the guy? That I'm happy because of what he did? Sure, I got true sentience out of the deal by being an intelligence parasite, but I was stuck inside of the boy, unable to use it. And now I'm stuck in this body, my power severely limited, and the boy is the spitting image of the man who put me in this situation! Give me _one good reason_ why I should help him!"

Jiraiya sighed. "Because, if _he _dies, _you_ die." Kyuumaru's mouth hung open, and then it closed. He glared at Jiraiya, but said no more. Jiraiya smirked at his success. "Looks like I've won you over."

Naruto turned to his clone. "You know, Kyuumaru, you've already helped me out a little with drawing out your chakra. It wouldn't hurt to teach me how to _use_ it right."

Kyuumaru's claws dug into his palm as he clenched his fist. "_Fine._ I will... assist you in your training. I'll even spar with you. Be warned- if you don't catch on quick, I'll pound you into the ground."

Naruto nodded. "Y-yeah..."

Jiraiya interrupted them. "So, what's this I hear about a run-in with Orochimaru?"

--

Sasuke was walking down the street, his hands in his pockets, looking down at the ground right in front of him. Kakashi had told him to pack whatever supplies he thought he needed- they were going to leave Konoha for a while to train, and wouldn't be back until the end of the month. His mind drifted to Naruto- Naruto was insanely strong if he went all-out. He'd need to do an insane amount of training to keep up... he'd need to be at Lee's level to even think of defeating Naruto. And Naruto was going to be training to beat Lee... he needed power, lots of it, and fast. The mark on his neck began to itch, and he reached back and scratched it. No, he couldn't rely on that... Orochimaru had given it to him, Kakashi had said that it was pure evil, that no good could truly come of it. He needed something else...

He was brought out of his thoughts when a girl his age bumped into him and fell onto the ground; Sasuke himself managed to stay upright. Sasuke did a quick overview of her appearance- he didn't recognize her right off. She was a white-haired girl, whose hair was similar to Sakura's, though her bangs went down to just above her eyes, instead of framing her face like Sakura's did. She wore a pink t-shirt that didn't quite cover her stomach that had a cartoonish white rabbit head on it, a white skirt, and straw sandals. Sasuke offered a hand to her. "Are you alright?"

The girl took his hand and quickly sprang back up with a strength in her legs that Sasuke noted was not quite normal. She blinked for a moment, and Sasuke noted that her eyes were just as dark as his own. She gave a small grin. "Yeah, I'm fine! Just wasn't quite paying attention to where I was going, heheh. I'm Tsukiko! And you are?"

Sasuke was apprehensive. Something was... not quite right here. "Uchiha... Sasuke."

Tsukiko's eyes smirked for a split second- something that Sasuke took note of. It slipped off of her face just as quickly as it had appeared, and her face took on a more 'surprised' appearance. "Oh! You... you're the 'one'!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this suspicious behavior. "Excuse me?"

Tsukiko giggled. "Oh, sorry... my family has traveled a long way, because my father had this vision... he has something that he wants to give you! Come on!"

She quickly grabbed his arm, and Sasuke noted that she was a lot stronger than she looked as she began dragging him along. "H-hey, wait! Let go of me!"

After a several seconds, she did as he said- she had taken him into a side alley, and Sasuke noted that there were two other people here, one of them sitting at a table, his entire head except for his eyes covered in a turban, and he wore rather plain but still ridiculously large robes, his hands barely peeking out from the sleeves. The other person was, again, a white-haired girl his age. Her hair was much longer, and her skin was as white as her hair. She wore a green, snake-scale print kimono, and she was barefoot. Her eyes flickered to Sasuke, and he shivered- they were red and slitted, reminding him of Orochimaru's eyes, though her eyes were much wider than that snake's. He looked at the man sitting at the table, and he realized that he was staring into the crystal ball intently. The man lifted his head and began staring at Sasuke, and Sasuke completely froze- this man's eyes were _just_ like Orochimaru's.

The man spoke first. "Who is this you bring to me, Tsukiko? Another lad seeking his fortune in the future?"

Tsukiko giggled. "No, Father, this is Sasuke! You know, 'The One!' He looks just like you said he would, I don't see why you don't recognize him!"

The man chuckled. "I was just making sure _you_ knew who he was, Tsukiko."

Sasuke grunted. "You mind telling me who you guys are? I have a policy of not taking gifts from complete strangers."

The man's eyes narrowed from the bottom- a sign he was smiling. "Yes, yes, of course. My name is Yamatamaru, and these two are my children, Tsukiko and Nagini."

Nagini bowed her head. "Hello..."

Sasuke frowned. "So, you're some kind of fortune teller, then?"

Yamatamaru nodded. "Yes... I had a vision, that you would need power... and power, is something I can give you."

Sasuke's interest was pricked. This guy... he was good. "Really, now?"

Yamatamaru nodded once more as he reached into a box beside the table, and began pulling out the weirdest fruits that Sasuke had ever seen. One was a purple apple with yellow swirls on it, another was pink coconut with orange swirls, and another was a blue orange with green swirls. "These... are Akuma no Mi. I'm sure you've heard of them, your friend benefits from such a fruit."

Sasuke was more than suspicious. How did this guy know everything? Scratch that, how did he get his hands on _three _of these things? "Who are you, _really_? You can't be just a... 'humble fortune teller'."

The man's eyes arched upwards again. "Nagini, why don't you show him what the Akuma no Mi has done for you?"

Sasuke turned to face Nagini, and what he saw horrified him- from the waist down, her body had become a giant white snake tail. Her eyes had narrowed considerably, and her hands had grown claws. The tail was quite long, and she was able to use it to gain a lot of height on Sasuke, forcing him to look well up just to see her face. One instant, she was towering over him- the next, her tail was wrapped around Sasuke's body, squeezing him tightly, while her human half hovered right beside him. He gritted his teeth as he tried not to yell out in pain. He glared full-force at Yamatamaru. "What do you want from me?!"

Yamatamaru chuckled as he stood up. "Simply put, my boy... I want you to eat one of these fruits. Only one, mind you- eating more than one has... disastrous results."

Sasuke squirmed as the snake scales rubbed against his skin. "And if I refuse?"

Yamatamaru walked around the table, and stared into Sasuke's eyes. "Then, we have a dilemma. You want power... but you won't take it. Next you'll be saying that you want revenge... but don't 'feel like' killing _him_."

Sasuke grit his teeth. "Fine! If that's the way it's going to be, I'll eat the darn fruit!"

Yamatamaru seemed to smirk beneath his turban. "Good. Now, you have a choice here... Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia... though I doubt those words hold any meaning to you. I'll let fate decide which one you take..."

Sasuke gulped. It felt like his entire destiny rode on this decision. Which one would he take? Sasuke knew what a Zoan fruit did, at the very least- it gave one the power to change shape, like a werewolf, this girl, and Naruto. He had no clue what the others did- Naruto never explained in detail what kinds of Akuma no Mi there were. "I... pick..."

**Kasek**: I'll stop here. The scene with Gaara was rather spur of the moment, but I hope it serves a purpose eventually.

Now, as for 'Yamatamaru' and his daughters... Tsukiko has a 'rabbit' theme, while Nagini _obviously_ is just as much of a snake as Orochimaru is, though she's a bit nicer. Yamatamaru... well, if you haven't figured it out by now, I won't spoil the surprise. BTW, Tsukiko and Nagini are not what they appear. I'll give cookies to whoever guesses their secret.

As for the fruit choices... Well, you see, I just want opinions on this. The majority opinion may not be chosen, while a minority opinion may. I've got three fruits here (obviously):

Paramecia fruit, Gara Gara no Mi: Gives the user complete control over their skeletal structure, just like Kimimaro. Sasuke may learn how to better his abilities by fighting Kimimaro later on. Is similar to a Logia fruit, only you can't convert your entire body to bones.

Zoan fruit, Saru Saru no Mi: gives the user a full monkey and a monkey hybrid form. I like this one, personally, but that's my Zoan obsession speaking. This would allow Sasuke to take his physical abilities beyond what they were in the manga, giving him more time to work on Chidori and other aspects.

Logia fruit, Juhi Juhi no Mi: Gives the user control over wood, and can convert their body into infinite amounts of it. I don't think Sasuke would like having the ability of the Uchiha's sworn enemy, the Senju clan, but whatev, he'll get over it. I wanted to name this the Moku Moku no Mi, but that was taken. Would convert Sasuke's chakra natures to earth and water, making Chidori much harder to use. Also, I _do_ have a way that somebody could beat him should they need to.

Give reasons as to why it would be better for Sasuke to eat such and such a fruit. If you think you have a better fruit for Sasuke, let me know.


	26. Chapter 26

**Kasek: **Okay, I swear that that will be the last time in a long time I ask for opinions on how the story should go. I really need to learn to just pick something and go with it. So, anyways, I have been convinced by multiple people that I should go for a Zoan of a different kind than 'monkey'. I'm going to go with what I had originally planned for Sasuke, but thought, 'Nah, maybe this is too stereo-typical. A monkey, that's what no one would suspect!' So, yeah, I apologize for using another Zoan! I'll try to see if I can get more Paramecia in, and you guys can help by sending in suggestions if you feel like it. If one sounds really good, I might actually use it. Or, I can just defy canon and create more than one of the same fruit... which I may or may not have already done, kukuku.

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor One Piece**

**Chapter 26: The Training Begins!**

"I... pick..." He thought quickly- a known curse or an unknown curse? The answer was obvious- take the curse that obviously wouldn't disfigure him permanently. "...Zoan! If Naruto can bear that curse, then so can I!"

Yamatamaru nodded. "I see... this isn't quite the same curse that _Naruto _has, though... this, is the Tori Tori no Mi, Model Raven. Your brother has quite an attachment to crows... I thought it might be in the genes. Looks like I was right." He picked the purple apple off of the table, and lifted it up to Sasuke. Sasuke leaned forward and took a bite out of it. His face showed extreme discomfort as he swallowed- the fruit tasted _horrible_.

Sasuke growled. "There, you happy now?"

Yamatamaru's eyes narrowed. "Not until I see you transform..."

Nagini removed herself from Sasuke, and Sasuke stood there, with his eyes narrowed at Yamatamau. "And just _how_ do I go about doing that?"

The robed man chuckled. "Why, by just thinking about it, of course. If you want your body to do it, it will do it."

Sasuke nodded slowly, and closed his eyes. He _feel_ his body change, expand... it wasn't entirely unpleasant. He opened his eyes again, and looked down at his body. He had grown feathers nearly all over his body, and his hands and feet had become as bird claws, ruining his sandal-boots. His shirt, too, had ripped, where his large wings had grown in. It was too bad- that was his favorite shirt, too. He flexed his new muscles- they felt... powerful, but not entirely beast-like. He was merely in better shape than before. He turned to Yamatamaru, and it took him a moment to get his vocal chords working right. "I assume that I can fly?"

Yamatamaru chuckled. "Of course! The power would be useless otherwise."

He closed his eyes again, and this time his body shrunk. He was now smaller than he normally was- he was now an abnormally large raven. Again, it took him a moment to get his vocal chords to work. "A flying ninja... it certainly has its appeal. And the fact that I'm practically a tengu... that has scare tactics written all over it." He looked at the other fruits as he turned back into his human form. "...don't tell me what the other fruits do. I don't care if I missed out on an opportunity for limitless power- I want to kill Itachi the old-fashioned way... with strength and skill, not fancy tricks."

Yamatamaru chuckled once more. "Of course... really, I guess it was rather pointless of me to bring the Paramecia and the Logia... I couldn't really see you taking anything else other than a Zoan." He put the fruits back into the box, followed by his crystal ball, and finally, his table and chair, which were collapseable. "Nagini, Tsukiko, come on. We're leaving."

Nagini nodded, while Tsukiko pouted. Her eyes turned to Sasuke. "Aww... I wanted to spend more time with him, too..."

Yamatamaru seemed to smile. "You'll see each other again, I'm sure..."

Tsukiko bounced over to Sasuke and kissed him on the cheek. "Bye, Sasuke! See you later!"

As they all turned to leave, Sasuke felt the urge to ask Yamatamaru something. "Wait. Your name... isn't really Yamatamaru, is it?"

Yamatamaru turned to Sasuke and smiled again. "Well, now... that's a mystery for another day." A strong gust blew through the area, and Sasuke was forced to close his eyes as dirt flew up into his face. After the wind died down, Sasuke looked around- they were completely gone. He grunted, and turned to leave- why were all of his life-changing experiences so unpleasant?

--

Yamatamaru chuckled as he walked down the street. "Another plan pulled off perfectly..."

Nagini walked carefully besides him. "His Curse Seal will react to the Akuma no Mi, causing the urge to use it grow stronger and stronger with time... I must say, you know what you're doing... Orochimaru."

'Yamatamaru' chuckled. "Oh, come now, you still don't accept me as your father?"

Nagini watched a father and daughter walk by them. "...I have no use for such a thing. Most snakes abandon their young before they're even born."

Tsukiko bounced to her side. "Ne, ne, but I thought King Cobras took care of their young for a while after birth?"

Nagini hissed- she was not in the mood to talk to her 'sister'. "And what would you know about snakes? You're nothing but a stupid rabbit."

Tsukiko tried to put a serious expression on her face, which looked slightly comical. "You know what they say, 'Know thy enemy'."

Nagini glared at her 'sister'. "What enemy? Your species doesn't _have_ any natural enemies."

Tsukiko pouted. "Well, since we're sisters, I thought it good to do some research, and stuff..."

Nagini hissed again. "Well, it's none of your business! Besides, I'm _not_ a cobra."

Tsukiko looked like she was about to cry. "Daddy! She's being mean to me again!"

Orochimaru chuckled again at their antics. "Now, now, you two, behave yourselves. You can let out your frustrations in a sparring match when we get home."

The two girls sighed at the same time. "_Yes,_ Father..."

--

Jiraiya frowned after hearing Naruto's report. "So, he's taken an interest in Sasuke, huh... can't say that I'm too surprised."

Naruto was confused. "Why would you say that?"

Jiraiya continued with his frowning. "Because, Orochimaru used to be part of an organization called 'Akatsuki'. One of their members is Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother." Naruto stiffened- that brought back memories... and not all good ones, either. Jiraiya noticed his reaction. "I see you know that name..."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah... can't say I'm all too pleased to hear it."

Jiraiya placed his hand on his chin. "Well, anyways, before Orochimaru 'resigned', he apparently had a confrontation with Itachi... that ended badly. In fact, that was the reason he left- he didn't want to be killed."

Naruto nodded. "So, he wants someone as powerful as Itachi on his side... and he's going to try to raise Sasuke to be that person."

Jiraiya nodded in return. "Looks like it."

Naruto smiled. "Well, Sasuke's better than that. Besides, the Curse Seal thing is under some seal Kakashi-sensei made. He hasn't had trouble with it so far."

Jiraiya sighed. "Well, that's all well and good... alright, then. I'll meet you in front of the hot springs tomorrow at ten. That ought to give you a bit of time to go visit your friend Hinata in the hospital first, right?" Naruto nodded. "Good. Well, see you later. Time for me to go do some research."

Naruto frowned at his new sensei. "You mean, 'Time for me to go peep on ladies at the hot springs', right?"

Jiraiya coughed. "It's _research, _kid, _research_."

--

Gaara watched the full moon from his perch on the fish statue on top of the castle. It was... calming, somehow. And yet, it was not- the demon inside of him grew ever hungrier for blood on nights like this. He was contemplating the words that Naruto had given him earlier that day. _Is it possible... for me to not feel like I'm a monster?_

Watching him from a distance were his sensei, Baki, and Kabuto, who was standing on his legs as if they had never been mangled at all. Kabuto smiled as he watched Gaara. "So, does that kid not sleep or something?"

Baki shook his head. "No... it is his curse, I suppose. So, care to tell me how you're up and walking again?"

Kabuto glanced at Baki. "Nah... I prefer to keep my abilities secret, thank you very much. Anyways, here are our plans." He handed Baki a scroll, which Baki quickly pocketed. Kabuto glanced back at Gaara. "It's high time you informed _them_ of the plan..."

Baki nodded. "Just remember, Sunagakure will remain in the background until the very end... that is Kazekage-sama's will. If you appear to be failing, then we will withdraw."

Kabuto nodded. "Got it. I guess I'll go report to Orochimaru-sama, then..."

--

After having visited Hinata again the next morning, Naruto quickly went to the hot springs, where Jiraiya was- surprisingly- _not_ peeping, Kyuumaru at his side. Jiraiya smiled as Naruto approached. "Hey! Right on time. Come on, I'll take you to where we're going to train."

Soon, they found themselves in a large clearing, away from the rest of the village. Jiraiya sat down on a tree root on the edge of the clearing, and looked at Naruto. "Alright, kid. Show me how much of the Kyuubi's chakra you can draw out, right now."

Naruto nodded, and closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them again, and his eyes were red, like Kyuumaru's always were. His nails had become claws, and his canine teeth had become fangs. A red aura formed itself around him. Kyuumaru turned into his human form, which semi-surprised Jiraiya. Kyuumaru frowned at the display. "That's as much as you can draw out, huh? We're going to have to work on that..."

Kyuumaru closed his own eyes, and both Naruto and Jiraiya were shocked as red chakra began to pour out from his body, and formed into a sort of second skin. There was a tail of chakra over his rear, and two ears over his head. The whisker marks on his cheeks had grown darker, and his eyes had dark, defined lines around them- not as thick as Gaara's, but still noticeable. "It should only take a day or two to actually get you to draw out this much power... it's using it effectively that might take several days. And then, of course, there's what Jiraiya wants to teach you, as well. That'll be more useful to you if you're holding back on my power."

The chakra shroud faded away, and Kyuumaru went back to his normal (well, close to normal) appearance. Jiraiya smirked. "Well, we'll see how you handle the training with the Kyuubi no Youko's power first... if there's enough time, I'll teach you this other technique. I learned it overseas. It will definitely be useful against a taijutsu user like Lee. I've heard about him from Sarutobi-sensei; kid's strong, but his weakness is that he relies solely on taijutsu. If you can beat him in that area, you're good to go."

Naruto's eyes widened. "But, I can't just become as strong as Lee in a month!"

Jiraiya smirked. "Really, now? Kyuumaru, care to prove him wrong?"

Kyuumaru smirked, a fang protruding from his mouth. "Gladly."

Kyuumaru charged at Naruto, and made to punch him in the face. Naruto ducked under it, grabbed him arm, and flipped him over his head, letting go before Kyuumaru hit the ground, sending him quite a distance. Kyuumaru landed on his feet, and dashed towards Naruto. Naruto ran to meet his foe, and they began trading punches and kicks, one never truly hitting he other. Jiraiya smirked as he watched- while Jiraiya couldsee how fast their limbs were moving, he knew that less experienced shinobi would be hard-pressed to just watch this fight, let alone be a part of it. Naruto was a lot stronger and faster than he cared to give himself credit for.

After another minute of the two of them trading punches and kicks, Jiraiya stopped the spar. "Alright, that's enough. I think my point is proven."

Naruto frowned. "What point? I wasn't moving nearly as fast as I've seen Lee move."

Jiraiya smirked at him. "Please. If you were moving any faster, I doubt nothing short of a Sharingan could track you. You must have enhanced reflexes or something due to the Kyuubi's chakra. I think it may be even easier to teach you my technique than I thought."

Naruto smiled. "Really? That's great!"

Jiraiya nodded. "So, I guess we can get started on drawing out more of the Kyuubi's chakra. Kyuumaru can help you with that, so I think I'll go over there, and..."

Naruto shook his head. "And do _research_, right? I've been able to hear the sound of a waterfall and girls giggling for a while now. I knew there was a reason you picked this spot."

Jiraiya smirked again. "One day, I might just let you join me, you know..."

Naruto shook his head again. "Please. I'm never going to be a pervert like you."

Jiraiya sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine... geez, you're just like..." He didn't finish his sentence.

Naruto looked at him in confusion. "Just like... who?"

Jiraiya sighed again. "Look, I'll tell you some other time. Just get to training, will you?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, but said no more. However, his thoughts were different. _Who would I remind him of that would get him so down?_

**Kasek: **Short chapter day! Yay!

So, yeah, Yamatamaru was really Orochimaru. Wow, _real_ shocker there. As for his two 'daughters', I gave hints as to what they actually are this time. Let's see if you can guess now :3 As for ravens and crows... I did my research, and while the raven article on Wiki sez that ravens and crows are two different things, the crow article said that ravens are a kind of crow, so I'm going with that.

You know, I wonder if I should let Naruto still be able to summon in this fic... I plan on having the final battles of the invasion arc go differently this time around, so it's probably not going to be necessary. As for what skill Jiraiya is going to teach Naruto... kukuku, that's still a secret. I've seen Naruto use something like it before (at least in the anime), so I thought it'd be a cool technique for him to have.

Also, I just realized- in the manga, there is a point where Naruto punches Gaara in the face (in the hospital with Lee and Shika, remember?). I guess it's canon that Shukaku can be taken by surprise, so that justifies me putting Gaara in the hospital.


	27. Chapter 27

**Kasek: **I have nothing to say to you. It's past 11:30 right now, and I'm tired.

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor One Piece**

**Chapter 27: The End of Training, the Beginning of the Finals**

Naruto grinned at Hinata from his hospital bed. "Flowers? For me? Aww, you shouldn't have!"

Hinata blushed as she placed the vase by Naruto's bedside table. "Naruto, what did you do to hurt your back like that, anyhow? I came as soon as I heard..."

Naruto smiled as he looked at the ceiling. "Well, I was using that new technique that Jiraiya-sensei taught me, and, well... he told me to use it until I couldn't use it anymore. I was... in a most inopportune position when I stopped, and I ended up like this. Well, not like this... to be honest, I found out how to channel the Kyuubi no Youko's chakra to make the healing process go by faster, so I'm actually a lot better now then when I came in." He laughed at the horrified expression on Hinata's face. "Oh, don't worry about it. I'll be fine by tomorrow. The Chunin exams aren't for another week, anyhow."

They both looked towards the door when it opened again, and in walked Jiraiya. "So, kid, doing better?"

Naruto smirked. "I almost broke my back, what do _you_ think? Yeah, I'm actually doing tons better. I think I can actually get up and go now." He slowly sat up, turned his body, and laced his feet onto the ground. He slowly stood up, and looked around. "See, Hinata? What'd I tell you!" He began stretching. "Good as new in no-" CRACK. Naruto fell over in pain. "Ow! Okay, not good as new... give me a sec here..."

Naruto placed his hands together in a chakra-gathering seal, and he slowly became emerged in a red glow. After a moment, the glow faded away, and he stood up again, and he stretched once more, though this time more slowly. "Okay, _now_ I'm as good as new. So, do you have any more training in mind, sensei?"

Jiraiya put his hand to his chin in a thinking pose. "Well, I don't know..."

Naruto turned into his Fennec form and pouted. "Pleeeeease?"

Jiraiya scowled at his latest student. "Alright, alright, but not because you just pulled the puppy-eyes look."

Naruto turned back into his normal form and gave a small hop. "Yes! Thank you, thank you!"

Jiraiya sighed. There went some more 'research' time...

--

Jiraiya sat down on a tree root on the edge of the clearing that they had been using for training, Kyuumaru lying down next to him. "Alright, so, I've seen you using Kage Bunshin in your spars with Kyuumaru. Just how many do you think you can make at once, not using the Kyuubi's chakra?"

Naruto put his hand to his chin in thought as he looked up at the clouds. "Well, they don't take too much chakra, so I'd say... several hundred. I've never made that many all at once, though, so I don't know for sure. Never had to."

Jiraiya had to restrain himself from whistling. That... was a _lot_ of Kage Bunshin. "Well, if that's the case... then I have a good way for you to train yourself. Actually, I wish I had thought of it sooner, it'd have made your other training go much faster. Make a ton of bunshin. Like, around one hundred."

Naruto nodded, and put his hands together in the cross seal. Many small explosions of smoke came from the clearing, and as it cleared, a hundred clones appeared, give or take ten or so. Jiraiya smirked. This could be interesting... He crossed his own hands, and ten clones of himself appeared. "Alright, guys. The enemy is composed of an army of annoying little brats. Wipe them out with everything you've got!"

The Jiraiyas all simultaneously cracked their knuckles. One of them spoke up for the rest. "Gladly."

Naruto growled, and turned to his own soldiers. "Men! I want you to hold nothing back! Fists, claws, swords, use everything at your disposal to wipe out your foes!"

There was a collective cheer from the Narutos. Kyuumaru actually assumed his hybrid form for the first time and leaned back against a tree. "This ought to be good..."

--

Another week passed, and Naruto was smirking to himself as he entered the large arena. He quickly ran to Hinata, who was standing aligned with the rest of the Genin... except for Sasuke. Naruto frowned as he noticed this discrepancy. "Hey, I wonder where Sasuke is... it's not like him to be late."

Hinata shook her head. "I don't know..."

Naruto looked up at the Hokage's box, far above everything else. There, he could clearly see Hiruzen and Jiraiya, as well as a Jonin named Raido. Hayate's coughing distracted him. "Hey, face the customers... they're paying to see you, after all."

Naruto grumbled, but did as told. Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe as he watched the Genin far below him. "Well, now... I wonder where Sasuke could be."

Jiraiya grumbled in a similar manner that his student was below. "I don't care about the Uchiha... I want to see how _my_ student is going to fare."

Hiruzen chuckled. "My, you seem rather attached to him."

Jiraiya frowned. "Well, technically, I _am_ his godfather... I ought to be."

Their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of none other than the Kazekage, who was accompanied by four guards, three men and a woman. The Kazekage had a veil over his face from the nose down, revealing only his eyes, and due to his hat, you could only see those from the front. Hiruzen smiled. "Well well, the Kazekage himself. Glad you could come. "

Gaara tensed as he watched the Kazekage from his spot on the ground. _Father... have you come in hopes of seeing me killed?_

Hiruzen took his pipe out of his mouth as he watched the Kazekage sit in his throne-like seat. "You must be tired from the journey..."

The Kazekage shook his head. "No... it's a good thing it's held here this time, though, I'm sure that any farther and your old bones might break. Maybe it's time for you to choose the Godaime Hokage?"

Hiruzen laughed. "I'm not _that_ old! I still have a few more years left in me before I quit this job!" He looked down at the arena. "Well, I suppose we can begin now..." He stood up, and walked to the railing. "Thank you, everyone, for coming to Konohagakure's Chunin Selection Exam! We will now start the main tournament matches between the twelve participants who made it through the preliminaries! Please stay and watch until the end!"

The Kazekage glanced towards Hiruzen. "If it's twelve, there's one missing..."

Naruto spoke up to Hayate. "What's going to happen with Sasuke?"

Hayate coughed into his hand. "If he's not here by the time of his match, he will forfeit automatically."

Naruto grit his teeth. _Come on, Sasuke, where are you?_

Hayate resumed talking. "Alright, then... this is the final exam. It's a different arena, but the rules are the same as before- as in, there are no rules. You continue fighting until someone forfeits or dies... but if I say a match is over, it is _over_. Got it?" Naruto noticed for the first time that Hayate was carrying a sword now- he hadn't been during the preliminaries. "Now then, for the first match, it's Naruto Uzumaki, versus Rock Lee. Those two will stay here, while the rest go to the waiting room."

As the Genin began walking towards the waiting room, the shinobi in the audience made their own little observations. Kiba smirked. "This ought to be a good match to watch... I'll be ticked if Naruto loses, though."

A voice came from behind him. "He won't." Kiba was startled, and turned around to face... Naruto. Sort of. This Naruto was wearing a black vest and black shorts, with spiked wristbands, and a spiked collar around his neck. Kiba didn't notice, but he was barefoot, and had two spiked anklets, as well. What grabbed Kiba's attention the most, besides the fact that he was practically Naruto's twin, were his eyes- red with slits. Kiba recognized him. "You're... Naruto's fox...! Why aren't you down there fighting with him?"

Kyuumaru snorted. "He said that he wanted to fight by himself... that it wouldn't be exactly fair if he were to fight Lee with me by his side."

Kiba frowned. "Uh-huh... one of these days, I'm going to figure out your secret."

Kyuumaru reclined into his seat. "Yeah, you do that."

Ino was sitting with Shikamaru, wearing an orange shirt and blue shorts instead of her normal outfit. "Sasuke said that Naruto's even stronger than him, right? That means that Naruto shouldn't even be able to lose here..."

Shikamaru groaned. "Are you sure about that? You told me what Lee is capable of... I don't think even the Hokage's apprentice could stand up to that."

Tenten, who was dressed in a blue, Chinese short dress, and even had lipstick on, frowned from her position in the stands. _Naruto's strong, there's no doubt about that... but can he beat Lee, if even Neji couldn't? No sword could help him win against a taijutsu master of that level..._

Kotetsu, who was sitting next to to Kiba, frowned. "They're both tough customers... who do you think is going to win, Izumo?"

Izumo, who was sitting on the other side of Kotetsu from Kiba, also frowned. "I don't know... Gai's a mighty powerful shinobi, who knows what he's taught his prized student."

Naruto smirked as he faced Lee. "May the best man win! Just to let you know, the only thing I might be holding back is my sword... and that's because I don't think I'm going to be able to hit you with it."

Lee nodded, and he smiled as he assumed a fighting stance, the sunlight glinting off of his teeth. "Then I won't hold anything back either! May this be a battle worth remembering for as long as we live!"

Hayate coughed, and raised his hand over his head, swinging it down a moment later. "Let the first match, begin!"

Lee dashed towards Naruto, and jumped up into the air, bringing his left leg up for a spin kick. However, it was stopped in mid-air... by Naruto's hybrid form. He spun Lee around, and slammed him into the ground on his back, leaving an indentation on the ground. Naruto let go of Lee, and raised his right fist. He thrust it towards Lee, who rolled out of the way and jumped back onto his feet. Lee looked up at Naruto's inhuman form. "Just what _is_ that technique?"

Naruto snorted. "You want to talk about techniques, or do you want to fight?"

Lee smirked. "Point taken."

Lee charged his opponent again, and lashed out his fist. Naruto ducked under the first punch, but when that one punch turned into a flurry of punches, Naruto was put on the defensive, being forced to intercept Lee's fist with his own every time. Lee put extra power into one last punch, and seeing this, Naruto pulled his fist back and intercepted with his own powerful punch. The collision created a shockwave, pushing both of them back several feet.

Naruto smirked. "Ah, you're no slouch... looks like I won't be able to defeat you in this form, then. Figures, I mostly use this form for sword-fighting, it's got more strength than speed."

Naruto quickly changed into his human form, and placed his fingers together in a handseal. A maelstrom of red energy shot out from Naruto and surrounded him. The force it was exerting caused Lee to shield his face to prevent any stray dirt that was being kicked up from getting into his eyes.

Akamaru whined from his spot on Kiba's shoulder. Kiba nodded slowly in comprehension. "Yeah... that guy's... not normal alright..."

Kyuumaru sneered. "What gave that away? The transformations or the sheer amount of chakra he can channel at one time?"

Kiba growled. "Shut it, fox."

Ino's eyes widened at the display. "When Sasuke said he was strong, he wasn't kidding!"

Shikamaru could only nod dumbly. _Man, am I glad I didn't fight him..._

Tenten was surprised, to say the least. _All of that chakra... what is he?_

Gaara tensed as he watched from the waiting room of the contestants, which had a clear view of the arena. _This is... the chakra of the monster inside of him..._

Hiruzen smiled as he took another puff of his pipe. "So, how good is he at controlling that chakra, now?"

Jiraiya gave a smirk. "Well, he isn't even showing a fraction of the power right now, but... pretty darn good. It's still dangerous for him to use too much, but even this fraction ought to be good enough."

Naruto gave a smirk of his own as he felt his body absorb the chakra and change as a result. "Alright, Lee, here I come!" Naruto dashed at his opponent with a speed that surprised Lee- it was the same kind of speed that Lee himself had when he removed his weights. Lee was barely able to block one punch, but was then unable to block the next one, which sent him flying. Lee balanced himself in midair, and immediately kneeled down and removed his legwarmers, revealing his weights.

Naruto frowned. "As much as I want to see you at full power... I can't really let you do that." Naruto again dashed at Lee, who had already unclasped one of his weights. Lee grabbed the weight, and then flung it at Naruto, who wasn't exactly expecting him to use it as a weapon. Naruto ducked under it, and arrived in front of Lee, and disappeared, reappearing behind Lee. He grabbed Lee around the waist, and lifted him into the air. He bent backwards, intent on smashing Lee's head into the ground behind him. Lee raised his hands, and pouring chakra into his limbs, was able to make sure his head barely even touched the grass. He then twisted his body using his arms as an anchor, and managed to fling Naruto away. He quickly got on his feet and reached down to his weights, unclasping the other weight and again throwing it at Naruto.

Naruto quickly dashed to the side, and he could hear the very loud sound of the weights hitting the ground behind him. He quickly dashed for Lee, who dashed to Naruto in turn. Their punches collided, and another shockwave was formed. They both jumped backwards at the same time, and began circling each other at high speeds, appearing as nothing but blurs to the majority of the audience. They again dashed towards each other, this time letting their legs collide in mid-air. The process began to repeat itself several times.

Hinata gripped the railing as she watched. _Naruto... I know you can do it...!_

As if responding to Hinata's thoughts, the next time that they clashed, Naruto was able to punch Lee in the chest while blocking Lee's punch with his other arm. Lee didn't budge, though, and instead brought his leg up to kick at Naruto's head. Naruto ducked under it, and as Lee turned around, Naruto kicked him in the back, knocking him down. Lee landed on his hands, and sprung right up, turning towards Naruto as he twisted in mid-air. He dashed back towards Naruto, and just as he reached him, he seemed to disappear. Naruto's eyes widened for a moment before he felt Lee kick him in the chin- hard.

As Naruto was lifted into the air by the force of the kick, Lee appeared underneath him, following a near identical trajectory. Lee shook his head as he thought to himself before attempting his next technique. _Sorry, Naruto... I said I would hold nothing back, and I meant it! I will finish this here and now! _However, before he could do whatever he had intended to do, something shocking happened- not only shocking to Lee, but to everyone in the entire crowd... except for Jiraiya.

Naruto twisted his body so that instead of being parallel to Lee, he was perpendicular, and bent his knees. A moment later, and it seemed like he had kicked off of some invisible wall, away from Lee. Naruto then changed directions, going straight down. He moved again, back towards Lee, and finally, he went straight back up towards Lee from underneath, and kneed him in the back at high speeds. As bile forced itself to escape Lee's mouth, Naruto again kicked off of the air, and this time raced at Lee from above, punching him in the stomach. Lee's course immediately changed, and he flew straight towards the ground, making quite an impression on the dirt when he landed.

As Naruto zigzagged through the air and landed on the ground, even Hiruzen was shocked. "Jiraiya... where did he learn that technique?"

Jiraiya smirked. "It's called 'Geppou'. It's one of the secret skills of Rokushiki... at first glance, it looks like one merely kicks off of the air, but it's a lot more complicated then that. I won't tell you what I went through to acquire such a skill, but let me tell you, that kid picked it up a lot faster than I thought he would. Took him two and a half weeks of intense training... and I mean _intense_."

Kiba whistled. "Alright, _now_ I'm impressed. I've never heard of a jutsu that could make you fly."

Kyuumaru snorted. "That's because it's not a jutsu, not in the traditional sense."

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "Say what?"

Kyuumaru reclined deeper into his seat. "It doesn't use physical energy. Only spiritual energy."

Kiba looked back at the arena. "Is that so...? I didn't know that spiritual energy had uses without mixing it with physical energy..."

Kyuumaru cricked his neck. "Eh... there's lots of surprises in the world... always something new to discover."

Kiba also leaned back into his seat. "You're pretty smart for a fox."

Kyuumaru glanced towards Kiba. "And you're pretty understanding for a dog." Kiba growled, but didn't otherwise retort.

Naruto smiled as he looked down at Lee. "You done yet?"

Jiraiya scowled at Naruto's display of mercy. "That kid needs to learn to be more ruthless... draw a kunai, put it to his throat, and bam, the match would be over."

Lee slowly sat up, and looked towards Gai, who he had spotted in the audience earlier on. He could see Gai mouth the words, 'Use it'. He turned back to Naruto. "Actually... I think I'm just beginning."

**Kasek: **Explanation for Geppou kinda borrowed from BLEACH. The shinigami in BLEACH use spiritual energy to create platforms to stand on midair. I don't think it quite works that way for living beings, but I think that it makes sense that they can at least make momentary platforms to kick off of. And don't gripe at me for mixing physics here, Naruto and One Piece physics are strained enough as it is (Kage Kakumei, anyone?).

So, yeah, congrats on the people who figured Naruto would learn an aspect of Rokushiki. I'm not going to teach him all of it, maybe one or two more aspects, if at all. I believe that Rokushiki as a whole normally takes a _very_ long time to master (CP9 members are trained from childhood, as far as I remember- see Rob Lucci), but individual aspects might not take a whole lot of time to master, especially if you already happen to be familiar with strange techniques (like if you're a ninja, for example). No, wait, I think Nero was... gah, you know what? Skip the explanations. Jiraiya knows Geppou, possibly more than that, and Naruto may or may not learn more.

For those who think that half a week was too fast to learn how to control the Kyuubi's chakra- Kyuumaru is a _very_ good teacher, and Naruto has good instincts in the chakra control department (see canon Naruto VS Sasuke).

And in case anyone asks, Kyuumaru knows Geppou too, and actually picked it up faster than Naruto. Obviously, Kyuumaru is a bit on the overpowered side- I shall have to find excuses for him to not participate in battles often. Perhaps I should not have thought him up at all, used him in a different fic or something. It's too late now.


	28. Chapter 28

**Kasek: Over 300 reviews! w00t!**

To Gogolu (and others who may have been confused)- Lee _does_ have the ability to manipulate chakra, he just can't use nin or genjutsu. When he stops Sasuke and... Kotetsu (?) from hitting each other with his bare hands, Sasuke notes that he has chakra in his hands (and there's even a picture of a thin layer of chakra covering his hands), as the feat was supposedly inhuman.

I also apologize in advance for... well, stuff. My creative juices got used up by the battle between Naruto and Lee.

EDIT: Changed the end. I _thought_ I was missing something...

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, zip, nada.**

**Chapter 28: The Arrival of the Raven**

"Actually... I think I'm just beginning." Lee reached deep inside of himself, into the core of his being... specifically, the right side of his brain. _Second Gate, Kyumon... Open! _With a burst of energy, he disappeared from his little crater, and appeared behind Naruto, leg already sweeping to kick at him in the sides. Naruto, however, immediately jumped up and forwards, and twisted around to see where Lee was. He scrunched up his legs, and propelled himself through the air back towards Lee, fist raised. Lee jumped backwards as the punch connected with the ground, throwing dirt up everywhere.

Lee put his hands in front of his face to protect his eyes from stray dirt, and noticed Naruto in front of him just in time to duck under a kick. He lashed out at Naruto with his own leg, knocking Naruto back quite a distance.

Kiba leaned forward in his seat. "Hey! What's with that recovery?! I thought he was down for the count!"

Kyuumaru shrugged his shoulders as he watched lazily. "I dunno. I only know Naruto's secrets, not everybody else's."

Tenten frowned. _That sudden recovery... he's using the Eight Gates.. end this quickly, Lee!_

As Naruto landed, he quickly took a fighting stance and evaluated his opponent. "Heh, you sure have a big bag of tricks... I don't know what's with that sudden recovery, but... you're going down!"

Lee shook his head. "I wish I could say I was going all out, but... if I go any farther down this path, I may end up damaging myself too much to fight in the next round, so I will be fighting at this strength level for the rest of the match."

Naruto frowned. "Really? I guess that's too bad, then... I still have a ways to go, myself. But... I guess I'll end this match with a bang." He placed his hands together in the familiar cross-fingered seal, and in an instant, an army of clones appeared at his side. The shinobi in the audience were shocked.

Kotetsu glanced at his partner. "Kage Bunshin... that's a Jonin-level technique. Wonder where he picked it up..."

Izumo shrugged. "Probably the same place he learned how to fly. I'm surprised at how many he's got down there, considering that this is pretty far into the match."

Naruto smirked. "Hey, Lee... I just want to let you know... I came up with this technique in this past month, so... you'll get to be the first opponent I beat with it. Alright guys, let's do this: Geppou Tengai!" All of the clones began circling Lee, and many even began flying through the air using Geppou. Lee looked frantically around himself as he found himself surrounded by Narutos in every direction but down, all of them constantly moving, up, down, left, right, forming a large dome around him. He saw one coming from his left and up, and kicked it as it reached him, dispersing it. He heard another cry out as it charged at him from behind, and Lee jumped and did a spin kick, dispersing that one as well. He constantly moved about, moving left and right erratically, making sure Naruto couldn't take advantage of any openings he may leave open. This time, a Naruto charged at him from right in front of him on the ground, and Lee met him head-on. As the clone dispersed, Lee was surprised to see a fist come from the smoke. He couldn't react in time, and was decked in the face.

Kotetsu smirked. "Using the smoke from one clone to attack with another... that's a good strategy, that."

Kiba had to agree with him. He had never seen anything on the scale of this 'Geppou Tengai'... it allowed Naruto to surround his opponent completely, not giving them any way to escape, and allowed him to attack from any angle he wanted. It was certainly a powerful technique, to say the least. "If he were using weapons, Lee wouldn't stand a chance... speaking of, Naruto doesn't carry shuriken. I wonder why that is..."

Kyuumaru shrugged his shoulders again. "He thinks the shuriken holster is too uncomfortable while he's wearing shorts, so he doesn't wear one."

Kiba gave him a blank stare. "He doesn't use shuriken for a stupid reason like that? Why doesn't he just wear pants, then?"

Kyuumaru sighed. "Look, do I look like I know _everything_ about him?" Kiba nodded, causing Kyuumaru to sigh again. "...Hinata told him that he looked good in shorts once, and he hasn't stopped wearing them since."

Kiba snickered mentally. _Geez, Naruto... I guess you really do like Hinata, huh? _"How long have they known each other?"

Kyuumaru wanted to glare at Kiba, but refrained from doing so. "...since they were three."

Kiba's eyes widened. He turned back to the arena, watching Naruto. _They've known each other for so long? And here I thought he was some new guy in her life... huh. I wonder what Hinata thinks of him..._

Naruto's thoughts were far from what Hinata thought of him as another two Narutos attacked Lee, one from directly in front and one from directly behind. Lee was distracted by the one in front of him, and as he knocked that one out of existence, the one behind him looped his arms under Lee's and grabbed him. Lee nearly growled. "Let go of me!"

Naruto stuck his tongue out, not that Lee could see. "Make me! DOGPILE!"

There was a cheer from all of the Narutos as they all changed direction, and landed right on top of Lee. As the pressure began to crush Lee, he spoke to Naruto. "Naruto... would you consider yourself a genius? Or a hard worker?"

The real Naruto, who had been the one to grab him from behind, raised an eyebrow. "Genius, you say? I'd... have to say I'm not. It's taken me a lot of hard work get where I am... you should've seen the training Jiraiya-sensei put me through this past month."

Lee smiled. "I see... then, I have no qualms about losing to you..."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Eh?!? But, can't you go even farther than you have?"

Lee nodded, though it was hard with all of the Naruto's on top of him. "Yes, but... the conditions to use that... cannot be met in a battle with a fellow hard-worker like yourself. I am happy to have met you... may we fight again someday!"

Naruto nodded, and dispelled all of his clones. Lee collapsed to the ground, and lay on his back, panting. "Referee! I submit my defeat!"

Hayate nodded, coughing before he could make the announcement. "The winner: Uzumaki Naruto!"

There was loud cheering to be heard as Naruto offered a hand to Lee to help him off of the ground. Lee gladly took it, and soon found himself standing again, though barely- the repercussions of having used two of the Eight Gates was affecting him. He would've fallen over again had Naruto not caught him, and they stood waiting for the medics, who came with a stretcher and insisted that they carry Lee to the infirmary.

Hinata smiled as she watched Naruto wave to the crowd as he made his way back to the competitor's box. _Naruto... you did great... I don't think you'll have any problems with becoming a Chunin..._Tenten was smiling, as well. _Y__ou did good, Lee... you did good._Kiba was grinning. "Alright! Looks like the money I bet on Naruto isn't going to waste after all!"

Kyuumaru yawned as he seemed to recline even further into his seat. "Yeah, yeah... wake me up if there's actually any blood in the next match..."  
_  
_Hiruzen looked towards his counterpart. "What did you think? I thought it was a rather powerful showing..."

The Kazekage shook his head. "...as Jiraiya said earlier, the boy's not ruthless enough. There were several opportunities for him to end the match, and he didn't."

Hiruzen nodded as he took a puff of his pipe. "I guess I have to agree with you... the only explanation I can think of is that... he wanted Lee to show off everything he had to the judges, instead of making him look like a loser for getting beaten so quickly."

The Kazekage shook his head again. "Even so.. he is supposed to treat this as a real combat situation, and not as a competition. He doesn't get my pass... not this time."

Hiruzen sighed. "Well, if that's how you honestly feel, I can't really change your mind..."

Naruto grinned as he walked back into the box. "So, how did I do?"

Most ignored him, but Hinata spoke up. "I... thought you did great, Naruto..."

Naruto's grin widened a bit. "Thanks, Hinata! Though, I guess I should've ended the fight a lot earlier... but I was enjoying it too much, and I didn't want Lee to feel like he was weak or anything, cause he's not."

Dosu snorted. "Being a Chunin is about intelligence, not brute strength... if it was, you both would make it in no problem."

Naruto ignored him. "Alright, then, so it's... Sakura VS Temari next, right?"

Temari nodded as she took out her fan, and looked at Sakura. "See you in the arena, pinky." She jumped into the air, and actually rode her fan down to where Hayate was. Sakura snorted and began walking the long way down to the arena.

Naruto thought that the match was rather... uninspiring. Right off the bat, Sakura seemed to go straight for a genjutsu, until Temari waved her fan and sent a whirlwind after her. It had seemed Sakura was beaten, until the Sakura Temari had been facing turned out to be a genjutsu when Sakura came out from the ground behind her, kunai in hand- a trick she had apparently copied from the Ame nin. Temari had promptly turned around, folded her fan, and nearly smashed Sakura's skull in- nearly, as Sakura had jumped to her left to avoid. Temari unfolded the fan again, and gave it a big wave, which caused Sakura to be caught in a whirlwind- for real, this time. She was badly cut up by the end, and had to forfeit. You could tell she was depressed when the medics came by to take her to the infirmary.

Naruto sighed. "Aw, man... I was hoping for something more... epic, you know? Like my match!"

Hinata giggled. "Naruto... I don't think anyone else here really _wants _to fight a prolonged battle... I think you and Lee are the only ones with the stamina for it..."

Naruto sighed again. "I guess you're right... I _am_ a bit of a stamina freak..."

Ino smirked at the sight of Sakura leaving. "Serves her right, the little..." She sighed. "I miss the old Sakura..." Shikamaru didn't say anything- when Ino showed signs of mood swinging, it was _not_ a good idea to get on _any _side of her, good or bad.

Hayate coughed. "Would Aburame Shino and Mubi come down to the arena?" The two shinobi did as asked, Mubi looking very nervous. Aoi looked agitated from his seat in the crowd, between Oboro and Kagari. His thoughts were not on how his pupil would win... but on how badly he would lose. If he managed to put up a decent fight, good for him. If he got KO'd rather quickly, though... there would be consequences when they got back to Amegakure.

As soon as the fight started, Mubi went into a genjutsu, as Sakura had. However, the swarm of insects came out all the same, and no matter where he went, they followed. Shino sighed. "Even if you put me into a genjutsu... you cannot hope to fool my insects. This match is a disappointment..."

Mubi gulped as the bugs came ever closer. "I forfeit, I forfeit!"

Hayate coughed into his hand, before announcing the end of the match to the audience. There were groans of disappointment throughout, but there was still some clapping to be heard. One of the biggest groans came from Naruto. "Geez, you guys could've fought for a bit longer, give Sasuke some time to show up."

Hinata scanned the audience with her Byakugan. "He's not in the crowd... I don't see anyone that really looks like him."

Naruto sighed. "Man, where could he be?"

Hayate coughed into his hand again. Sasuke's time was just about up... "Due to the absence of one Uchiha Sasuke, the winner of the fourth match is..." Before he could finish his statement, he was interrupted by a kunai that came from straight above him that planted itself in the ground. He was shocked- it had come from straight above him... when he was in the middle of the arena. Looking up, he saw what looked like a giant crow- no, a raven (not much difference in his mind, but still)- flying straight down at him. He reached for his sword, and noted that the creature had wings, arms and legs, not to mention clothes- it was some sort of tengu, if he had to give a name to it. The tengu dived, and with a great flap of its wings, stopped before it touched the ground. When its feet had touched the ground, it began shrinking, the feathers receding, the claws and the beak retracting, and the wings disappearing.

Naruto was shocked at the end result- there stood Sasuke, in a very... different attire than he was used to seeing Sasuke wear. He was wearing what appeared to be a halter-top, as the majority of the material of the shirt was in the front, with his entire upper-back exposed. A lone loop of cloth went around his neck, holding it up. He was also wearing black shorts, and he was wearing an open-heel variant of the standard shinobi sandal boot. His hitai-ate was in the same place around his forehead, though his hair looked quite a bit longer, at least in the front.

Sasuke smirked. "Sorry I'm late... Kakashi insisted I have the right clothes for the occasion."

Many whispers were heard through the crowd as Hayate stared at the boy before him. Naruto, too, was stunned. "W-was that... an Akuma no Mi?"

Hinata turned on her Byakugan. She, too, was stunned. "H-he has a blackish blue chakra along his normal yellow chakra... I guess he does have one..."

Dosu narrowed his lone eye. _There's no such Akuma no Mi as a raven fruit... Orochimaru, you keep making this harder for me..._

Hayate coughed again. "Would Gaara report to the arena, please?"

Temari looked at her younger brother. She recognized the look in his eyes- he wanted to murder somebody, soon. If she were to even try to remind him of their plan right now, she'd be killed.

As Gaara began to walk out of the room, Naruto put his hand on Gaara's shoulder. Gaara qhipped his head around and glared at Naruto full-force. "_Do you have a death wish, Uzumaki?_"

Naruto merely stared into Gaara's eyes. After a moment, Gaara's eyes fluttered to Temari, and then back to Naruto. Then, he seemed to calm down. He nodded to Naruto, and walked out of the room. Temari was stunned, to say the very least. "H-how did you do that?"

Naruto tilted his head quizically. "Do what?"

Temari motioned her hand towards the door. "That! If I had done that, he would've killed me!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Really? Are you absolutely sure about that?"

Temari narrowed her eyes at him. What was he up to? More importantly... who was he, really, to be able to communicate with Gaara on such a level, that they didn't even really need to speak?

--

As Gaara walked down the long, dark hallway, his progress was impeded by two Kusa nin. The one without sunglasses stepped forward. "Hey, kid... low-level tournaments like the Chunin Exams are great for betting... lots of ministers come here for it..."

The sunglasses-wearing one smirked. "So, we want to ask you... to lose for us."

Gaara glared at them. Naruto had somehow made him to want to be something other than a monster, so he was going to start... with not killing these two. "Not. Interested."

As he walked past them, the one without sunglasses smirked. "You know, that sister of yours is kinda cute... it'd be something awful if something were to happen to her..."

Gaara stopped walking. Well... killing in righteous fury had nothing to do with being a monster, now, did it?

No one heard their screams.

**Kasek: **Short chapter is short...

I feel miserable about what I did to Sakura... I built her up, only to tear her down... maybe I'll come back someday and make the match more... worthwhile. And yes, I fully intended on Mubi having a pathetic showing. It's actually a bit of plot fuel... I think.

And I _really_ need to go back and make Dosu give his inner monologue where he loses all respect for Orochimaru... I forgot about it completely.

Tell me what you think of Sasuke's new outfit. A halter-top was the only thing I could think of that would be practical for a guy who grew wings from his back, even though it's supposed to be for girls...

I like what I did with Gaara. :3 For those of you who don't get it: Temari treated him like he was something other than a monster, and he's very glad for it. So, when someone threatened her... well, you already saw. I have at least one other scene planned to elaborate on Gaara's want to protect her.

Geppou Tengai: Moon-step dome. I thought that this was a great way for Naruto to make full use of his Kage Bunshin and Geppou at the same time. I hope this looks as epic in your mind's eye as it did in mine.


	29. Chapter 29

**Kasek: **Finally got around to finishing this...

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor One Piece**

**Chapter 29: The Beginnings of War**

Ino squealed. "Sasuke! Yes, he's going to fight now!"

Shikamaru grumbled under his breath for a moment. "Geez... could you be any louder?"

Ino glared at him. "What was that?"

Shikamaru sighed in defeat. "How troublesome..." He had to admit, though, he was interested in this match too- after all, it was _the _Uchiha Sasuke, the number one rookie of the year.

--

Hayate looked between the two competitors. He coughed, and then chopped his hand down. "Begin!"

Sasuke immediately jumped back as soon as Gaara's sand appeared. Before anything could happen, though, Gaara gripped his forehead in pain. "N- Who do you think you are, ordering me around? I can kill and not kill whoever I darn well please! So what if those two had 'bad blood'? So what if this one has 'good blood'? I don't care! I refuse to be a monster anymore!"

Sasuke had no clue what to really think. _Is this guy schizophrenic or something?_

Temari gripped the railing, causing her fingers to go numb. "He... he said... he doesn't... want to..."

Sasuke grit his teeth. _Monster or not, I refuse to lose here!_ He threw some shuriken at Gaara, hoping to gain his attention. Some sand got in the way, and the shuriken impacted the sand before falling to the ground. Gaara seemed to regain his calm, and focused his vision on the Uchiha. "Sorry about that... now, let's see... how to make this fight go by without making you seem too pathetic for losing to me..."

Sasuke smirked. "Should I thank you for that?"

Gaara shook his head. "Uzumaki did it for his opponent... I thought I would extend the same courtesy to you." Gaara focused his left hand into a seal, and the sand began gathering in front of him. Soon, it formed into a human shape, which then took on color- it was a clone of Gaara. Gaara blinked. "Let's see how long you'll last against this bunshin..."

The clone rushed towards Sasuke, who ducked under its initial right hook. Sasuke made to sweep its legs out from under it, but it jumped, and at the same time kicked Sasuke in the chin, sending him reeling backwards. Sasuke rubbed his chin as he gave the clone a second glance. "You're better than I gave you credit for... guess I'll have to use my Sharingan..." His eyes turned red, two tomoe seals appearing on each iris.

He dashed at the clone, and they began a flurry of punches and kicks, one never hitting the other for almost a minute. Then, Sasuke got a good punch in its face, causing its head to disperse and the clone body to lose its color, reverting back to regular sand... for a second, anyways. The sand began to move to surround Sasuke, and he quickly jumped back to avoid getting caught in it. He knew that it was dangerous- he had seen what it had done to Kabuto's legs.

He smirked as the sand levitated in front of him. "Ah... seems I'll have to do a lot better than this if I even want to get close to you..." He shifted into his 'tengu' form, and with a great flap of his wings, he was in the air. His Sharingan met Gaara's green orbs, and the stared at each other for a moment- before Sasuke seemed to disappear. Gaara doubled over as a punch made it's way into his gut, and before he could retaliate, Sasuke kicked off of him, out of the sand's reach, and was back in the air.

Temari gaped. "Today's just... full of impossibilities..." It had been a long time since she had seen anybody actually hit Gaara. She noticed that Gaara's clothes seemed to be cracked- an indication that he was using his signature _Suna no Yoroi_ technique. _So, he was actually anticipating Sasuke getting past his shield? End this quickly, Gaara, so we can get on with the plan... if you use too much chakra, we might not be able to do so..._

Kiba was stunned. "Oi, oi, what kind of transformation jutsu is that? First Naruto, now Sasuke- just what is Kakashi teaching you guys?"

Kyuumaru glanced at the battle, obviously bored with the whole thing. "Ah... I don't know where Sasuke learned it, but Naruto's been able to do it since he was little."

Kiba gaped at him. "But, but... isn't that kind of jutsu _hard_? Yet, I see them doing it without handsigns..."

Kyuumaru sighed. "Look, you either have a talent for it or you don't. Stop bothering me about it, I'm trying to sleep here."

Sasuke flew straight at Gaara, but as the sand got in the way to protect Gaara, Sasuke planted his feet on the ground and turned to the left, and in an instant was behind Gaara. Again, Gaara got punched, though this time in the face, as he had turned to try to face his opponent. His face now appeared cracked, which piqued Sasuke's interest as he backed off. "What's with the cracks? That some kind of armor?"

Gaara nodded. "The _Suna no Yoroi _technique allows me to protect myself from harm even if someone gets past my _Suna no Tate_. But... I must admit, to get past the _Suna no Tate_ is no small feat. Perhaps I should take this more seriously than I am... I hope you don't mind if I resort to physical combat." He held his hand in front himself, and the sand seemed to flow off of his body, and began forming in front of him. Soon, he was holding a bo staff made of highly compacted sand. He twirled it expertly, before planting one end in the ground. "Come."

Sasuke smirked- which shouldn't have been entirely possible seeing as how he had a beak. "With my Sharingan... I can read your every move... I hope you realize that."

Gaara lifted the bo in a ready stance. "Whatever. Just come already... or do I need to come after you?"

Sasuke nodded, and with one flap of his wings, he was in the air; another flap, and he was speeding towards Gaara. Gaara lifted his staff's front end in an attempt to smash Sasuke in the beak as he got too close, but Sasuke veered off course, and as he passed Gaara, he planted his feet in the ground and jumped towards him. However, Gaara anticipated this, and rammed his staff backwards, hitting Sasuke in the chest- hard. Sasuke had his clawed hands over the area he was hit as he backed off. "Guh... I need to get out of this bird form before you break any of my bones... birds are fragile, after all..." He reverted to his normal, human form.

He again dashed at Gaara, who held his bo in a ready stance. Sasuke saw the bo lash out at him, ducked under it, and made to punch Gaara... only for some sand to break off of the staff and block his punch. It wrapped around his hand, and Sasuke found himself unable to move as Gaara brought the other end of the staff and hit him in the head, knocking him away as the sand released its grip on him. Sasuke rubbed the now sore spot on the side of his head. "Now that's just cheap..."

Gaara's eyes stated that he didn't care. "The sand automatically comes between me and any attack that isn't too fast to get around it... I just took advantage of it and used it to trap you long enough for me to get a hit in... just be glad I'm not using a halberd. I don't feel like killing you today..."

Sasuke shook his head. "Only feel like beating the crap out of me, huh?"

Naruto looked up as he saw white feathers beginning to fall out of the sky. "What the? What's... this..." His eyelids felt extremely heavy all of a sudden. Hinata poked him sharply. "Ow! What was that for?!"

Hinata had her Byakugan activated. "Someone's casting a genjutsu to get everybody to fall asleep."

Naruto's eyes widened, displaying that they were not as heavy as they were a moment ago. "Who would do such a thing?"

Dosu chuckled. "Yes... I _do_ wonder..." He drew up his sleeve, revealing a golden Melody Arm in place of his old, cracked one. "Kin, it's time to go..."

Kin smirked at her mummy of a partner. "Right." They both jumped over the railing and into the arena. Naruto reached out after them. "H-hey! Where do you think you're going?"

Dosu looked back at Naruto. "Orochimaru's order still stands.... kill Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto's eyes went back to Sasuke as Hinata snapped Choji3 out of the Genjutsu, and was about to move to Shino, but he didn't need it. Naruto grit his teeth before shouting a warning to Sasuke. "Sasuke! Look out! The Oto Genin are coming to get you!"

Sasuke turned to see that Naruto was right. He swore under his breath- he did _not_ need three opponents right now. He swore again when he saw Temari jump after them, as well. Glancing to his sides, he could see Baki and Kankuro coming from the stands. Today was _not_ his lucky day.

Hinata touched Naruto's shoulder. "Me and Choji will take care of them... you go help whoever you can."

Naruto nodded. "Right!"

--

Hiruzen turned to the Kazekage, who was in turn, turning to face the Hokage. The Kazekage's eyes seemed to narrow in what seemed to be a display of pleasure. "Shall we?" A moment later, and one of his guards took out a small grenade-like device and popped off the top, and an explosion of smoke enveloped the arena.

--

Naruto grit his teeth when he saw the Kage's Box enveloped in smoke. He transformed into his hybrid form and took out a scroll from his waist pouch and unfurled it, and in a small explosion of smoke, Kubukiri Hocho was in his hands. He leapt into the air, and began using Geppou to fly straight towards the box. He noted that Kyuumaru had had the exact same thoughts that he had, and he, too, was flying towards the box, though minus the sword and transformation. Two of the four guards that the Kazekage had brought with him- both of them male- jumped towards them as they approached the box. Naruto growled. "Out of my way!"

He sliced them both cleanly in half as he passed them, and Kyuumaru actually stepped on one and sent him (or that half of him) into the seats below rather hard. Naruto saw four figures dash out of the smoke and onto the rooftop above, and he flew after them, Kyuumaru right behind him. They landed on the opposite side of the two Kages from the Kazekage's two guards. The Kazekage had one arm around the Hokage's neck, and with his other arm was carrying a kunai that was pointed at Hiruzen's face. Four figures landed on the four corners of the rooftop they were on. Hiruzen's eyes widened as he noted the hitai-ate that one of them- who had six arms- was wearing was that of Otogakure. The Kazekage spoke up. "Do it."

The four clapped their hands together, and then pointed their hands outwards from themselves. "Ninpo: Shishienjin!" In a moment, four violet walls of flame surrounded the rooftop, and a fifth wall- or, rather, a ceiling- was far above them. Jiraiya swore as he stood outside the wall. "Naruto! Stay away from them! You're out of your league here, kid!"

Naruto turned to his sensei and grinned. "Oh, have some faith in your student, would you? I may not be able to take on the Kazekage, but with Kyuumaru here, we can take those two guards of his!"

The two guards-one female, one male- jumped over the two Kages and faced him. They exploded into a cloud of smoke, and when it cleared, it showed not two, but three enemy ninja- two white-haired girls Naruto's age and a white-haired boy who was a couple of years older. Naruto gulped. "Okay, _three_ guards. But who's counting when I have my Kage Bunshin?"

The girl with shorter hair giggled. "You're a funny fox-person. It's going to be fun killing you~ Right, Nagini?"

Nagini snorted as she transformed into her hybrid form. "Whatever, Tsukiko... the sooner we get this done with, the better..."

The white-haired boy glanced at them. "Take this more seriously, you two..."

Tsukiko's entire body shivered. "Y-yes, Kimimaro..."

Hiruzen stared straight ahead, not giving the kunai a second glance.. "For Suna to betray Konoha..."

The Kazekage seemed to sneer. "An alliance is only camoflage to make the enemy drop his guard... The stupid fighting games end here. Now, history changes..."

Hiruzen sighed. "Do you intend to start a war?"

"Exactly."

"We should avoid solving things through force, and work out things through negotiations... there is still time."

The Kazekage's sneer seemed to deepen, though you really couldn't tell with that veil over his lower face. "Do we become peace loving fools when we age... Sarutobi-sensei?"

All of the Konoha-ninja present widened their eyes. Hiruzen actually glanced at his antagonist. "You...!"

--

Baki, Temari, and Kankuro landed next to Gaara. Kankuro grimaced. "Gaara! The plan!"

Gaara glanced at his older brother. "What about it?"

Baki scowled at his student. "You're supposed to transform now..."

Gaara shifted his attention back to Sasuke, who was predictably on edge. Hayate was next to Sasuke, his sword drawn. "I don't care about the plan... Father can rot for all I care... I will _not _become a monster just because the village asked me to..."

Kankuro grit his teeth. "Why you little..." Temari slapped Kankuro in the back of the head. Kankuro rubbed the now sore spot. "T-Temari...?"

Temari glared at her brother. "For once in his life, Gaara wants to be something other than a monster... and you want to force him to become one?! What kind of a brother are you?!"

Kankuro looked at the dirt in front of his feet. "...you're right.... sorry, Gaara... I'm not a really good big brother, am I?"

Gaara glanced back at Kankuro. "You were just trying to make sure orders were being carried out... that is your duty as a shinobi. I do not blame you..."

Kankuro smiled at his younger brother. "Thanks... Gaara."

Baki scowl deepened. "Regardless, now this fight is that much harder..."

Gaara took a step forward. "I'll take care of Uchiha.. he's powerful, so if I distract him, he can't take out any of our shinobi."

Baki locked eyes with Hayate. "I've got the examiner, then."

Temari unfolded her fan. "Gaara... I'll fight with you."

Gaara's gaze softened as he observed his sister. "Thanks... big sis."

Temari's eyes widened, and then she smiled. "You're welcome... li'l bro."

Hinata and Chouji got inbetween Sasuke and the Oto nin. Hinata took a fighting stance. "You will _not_ fight Sasuke. Your fight is with me."

Chouji pointed towards Kin, though he apparently wasn't too confident. "A-and with me!"

Shino stood behind the two Oto nin. "And with me..."

Zaku appeared besides Dosu and Kin. "Heh, looks like you two could use some back-up..."

Dosu glanced at his partner. "I assume you'll be leaving the Hyuuga to us, then? Or do you want revenge?"

Zaku sneered. "I could take her out easily now that I've been upgraded, so... yeah, I'll leave her to you. I've got shades here. You two can have the opponents you drew a month ago."

Kin smirked as her hair began to lengthen and surround her. "Heh, how chivalrous of you... and I heard chivalry was dead."

Sasuke looked around the arena, eyes wide as he saw all the chaos around him, shinobi clashing with shinobi. "What... is this?"

Hayate coughed, gaining Sasuke's attention. "You're obviously a skilled fighter... so I'm going to have to ask you, as a fellow shinobi of Konoha, to help me take out these guys over here..."

Sasuke regained his composure. "I guess I don't really have a choice in the matter... I hope this counts as bonus points towards my possible promotion." Sasuke took a fighting stance as he locked eyes with Gaara. This war was only beginning.

**Kasek: **Took me a while to figure out how I wanted this to go... Next chapter is going to be chaotic

Yes, that's Kimimaro... I have my reasons as to why he's here. I have no idea what I'm going to do with Kankuro, seeing as he doesn't exactly have a puppet to work with right now _ I had this conversation between Temari and Kankuro planned during Gaara's match, and then remembered that Kankuro isn't a competitor this time around D: Good thing I caught that in time. So that took out a bit of what I had planned... yeah... O-o That means.. Shoot, Kankuro's in the box last chapter! Great, now I have to change how that goes, too...

Suna no Tate: Shield of Sand: The shield that's always protecting Gaara.

Suna no Yoroi: Armor of Sand: The layer of sand that Gaara uses to absorb the shock of attacks that make it past his shield.

Shishienjin: Four Violet Flames Battle Encampment: A barrier ninjutsu that prevents both things getting in and getting out by burning anything that touches it. Requires four people to use.


	30. Chapter 30

**Kasek:** Yay! I finally got around my darn writer's block! Hope you all enjoy~

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor One Piece**

**Chapter 30: All Out War  
**  
The Kazekage laughed a little. "Your foolishness has caused Konoha to fall further and further behind... I have won."

Hiruzen would've glared at him if he could have. "It's not over until it's over... I thought I taught you that... Orochimaru!" The Kazekage reached up for his face and grabbed it, and then yanked on it. His face actually came off, revealing underneath the face of Orochimaru. "I thought this day would come... but you won't have my head so easily, my old student."

Orochimaru smirked. "I told you you should hurry up and pick the Godaime... because you will die here, Sandaime."

Kakashi grunted. "So many..."

Gai shook his head as he pounded another Oto nin. "The situation's a bit more dire than that. Look at the top of the central watchtower."

Kakashi's eye narrowed. "Barrier ninjutsu..."

Gai punched another man in the gut. "Look inside the barrier."

Kakashi's eye went into reverse and widened. "Orochimaru!"

Shikamaru peeped open an eye as he stayed slumped forward. _Orochimaru? Who's that?_

Gai grit his teeth as he kicked another man in the face. "I'm worried about Hokage-sama. Do you think he'll be alright?"

Kakashi smirked underneath his mask. "I wouldn't worry... he's Hokage for a reason. And... he's got Naruto for back-up. This new Naruto... who knows how he'll be able to help."

--

Naruto held his ground as the three white-haired guards sized him up. The still-human Tsukiko seemed to ponder something. "Hey... you're a Zoan, right? Are you artificial like us or the real deal?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Artificial? Never heard of that before..."

Tsukiko giggled. "Yep! We were created using artificial Akuma no Mi made by our dad!"

Naruto gripped his sword. "'Created'?"

Nagini sighed. "We existed before then... He wanted to make the ultimate shinobi, a human mind with animalistic instincts... the first several tries were with giving humans animal instincts. These shinobi _were_ superior to pure-humans, but... he wasn't satisfied. Then he thought of something... if you could give animal characteristics to humans... why not human characteristics to animals?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "So you used to be regular animals, then?"

Tsukiko giggled. "Well, I wouldn't say _regular_... but yeah, we were. Being a human is soooo _weird_, though. You guys don't have enhanced senses and you have to work really hard just to keep your muscles at peak capacity. But, I look rather pretty if I say so myself, so I don't mind the tradeoff too much."

--

Hiruzen glanced at his old student. "So, you finally figured out how to make artificial fruit, did you?"

Orochimaru chuckled. "Ah, so you heard about my experiments, then? Yes, yes I did. It took me a long time to figure out the process of creating one... many seals, many handsigns, many materials. But once I got my hands on the Forbidden Scroll, I finally figured out the last component that I required- a human sacrifice."

Hiruzen's body went stiff. "..."

Orochimaru chuckled again. "Ah, I see that doesn't sit well with you. Where was I? Ah, yes. I've managed to create all three kinds of Akuma no Mi... Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia. Though my progress into Paramecia is rather limited, as is Logia, Zoans are by far the easiest to make. All you really need is a sacrifice of a human and the animal you want to make a fruit of... as for the Hito Hito no Mi.... kukuku, I'm sure you can guess."

Hiruzen growled. "You're a monster...!"

Orochimaru smirked. "Kukuku... well, anything else you want to say?"

Hiruzen closed his eyes in thought. "....you're not the type of man to act solely on vengeance. So why are you doing this?"

Orochimaru took the kunai away from Hiruzen's face and began walking towards one of the walls. "What can I say? A stopped windmill is so boring to watch... I'm a man of action. I want to see the windmill turn, with the smoke from the destruction of Konoha powering it!"

Hiruzen threw off his robes, revealing a black shinobi suit underneath, with armor on the right arm as well as a helmet with the Konoha insignia on it on his head. Orochimaru smirked. "I see you prepared your funeral shroud. Ah... it's been so long since we last fought..." He threw off his own robes, revealing the same outfit he had worn as a disguised Kusa nin.

The guard with six arms grunted. "It's starting. Put up the secondary barrier!"

The others agreed with him, but something happened right before they could do so- Kyuumaru punched the red-headed girl straight in the face, knocking her through where the wall would've been should she have been still supporting it. Kyuumaru smirked as the girl fell to the stands. "I... don't think so."

The walls shimmered and faded, and the other three ninja appeared by Orochimaru's side. The one with six arms spoke. "Orochimaru-sama! We apolo-" He was cut short when a snake wrapped around his throat. "Guh!"

Orochimaru's killing intent was now thick in the air, and a nearby roof tile cracked. "_I'll deal with you later, Kidoumaru- if you get out of this alive_." The snake unwrapped, letting Kidoumaru breath. "Sound Five! Deal with Jiraiya! Nagini and Tsukiko, take care of the fox brats! I'll settle things with my sensei by myself!"

Hiruzen threw a shuriken towards Orochimaru, and quickly went through several hand seals. "Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" However, just as they were about to hit Orochimaru, he seemed to explode into a pile of white snakes, and the shuriken passed through them harmlessly. The snakes reformed into Orochimaru, and he chuckled. "My, did I forget to mention _my_ Akuma no Mi? I think I did! I just made it the other day."

Hiruzen's eyes widened. "You...! A snake-element Logia fruit?!"

Orochimaru sneered. "Kukuku... not quite. You see, mine is the first of its kind- a dual type fruit! It has the combined powers of Zoan and Logia! I call it Hebi Hebi no Mi: Model Orochi! I created it by using part of my own soul as the catalyst for the fruit's creation!"

Sarutobi clicked his tongue. "I thought you seemed more monstrous than before... so you've lost part of your soul to the Sea Devil's curse..."

Orochimaru's tongue came out of his mouth and turned into a snake. "It's _my_ curse now..."

--

Sasuke dodged another one of Kankuro's chakra strings as he flew high in the air. _Those three siblings... they work well together._ Another voice- his immature side, he supposed- yelled at him. _Of course they work well together, they were probably trained together!_ He dodged a stream of sand, followed by a narrow dodge of a gust of wind, which removed a feather or two. _Tch... I could probably take out makeup guy, but the girl and Gaara are gonna be tough... so how to go about doing this..._

_--_

Hayate charged at Baki, sword drawn. "_Mikazuki no Mai!_" All of a sudden, there were several Hayates, and each charged from a different angle.

Baki's eyes widened when he found Hayate's sword lodged in his armor. "Tch... impressive, to know such a technique at your age. However, blades of steel can be stopped. Blades of wind, however..." Before he could finish his point, a needle found itself lodged in his neck, and he fell over.

Hayate smirked as his savior appeared next to him. "Thanks, Genma."

Genma clicked his tongue. "Great, now I need a new senbon to keep in my mouth. No way am I using that one again."

Hayate turned to the three Suna siblings. "Should we try to take them out, or leave them to Uchiha?"

Genma shrugged. "I get that Kankuro kid."

Hayate sighed in defeat. "I'll take the girl, then."

--

Sasuke smirked as he saw Kankuro get distracted by Genma, and Temari by Hayate. _Now I can focus on Gaara..._

--

Hinata charged at Dosu, intent on taking him out before he could do anything. However, he had other plans. He held out his golden Melody Arm in front of himself and gave it a ring. Hinata's eyes widened when she saw how much chakra he was packing into it. Before she could even say a word, she was thrown back by what sounded like a sonic boom. Dosu chuckled as she struggled to get up, and her balance seemed all over the place. "My, my... this works better than expected."

Kin had jumped to a different part of the arena, and Chouji had used his _Baika no jutsu_ to turn into a fleshy wrecking ball and was rolling towards her. Kin smirked. "Time for my latest technique..." Her hair wrapped around her, and soon she seemed to be in a gigantic piece of armor made of hair, with her disproportionately small head sticking out of the top. She flexed the fingers of the monstrosity as Chouji approached. "_Kami no Yoroi!_" Just as Chouji was about to reach her, the arms reached out and grabbed Chouji, and he spun in place for a bit before coming to a stop. He shrunk, and jumped backwards before the large, somewhat clumsy hands could grab him. Kin growled. "Hold still, fatty!"

Chouji's eyes seemed to have a flame lit in them. "That's it! You're going down!"

Zaku aimed his fist at Shino, and it launched from his arm and at the shades-wearing shinobi, a long chain clinking behind it. Shino stepped to the side and grabbed the chain, and yanked hard, but nothing happened- Zaku was too heavy for Shino to budge. Zaku grinned, and the chain began reracting, and the detached fist grabbed onto Shino as it passed by him and brought him towards Zaku. Zaku raised his other fist and punched Shino in the face, but Zaku's eyes widened as Shino's face exploded into a swarm of bugs, and the rest of his body soon followed. Zaku jumped backwards to get away from the bugs, and Shino appeared to his side, a bit of a distance away. "You cannot outrun my insects forever..."

Zaku smirked. "Hello? Steel exterior! They're not gonna suck _my_ chakra!"

--

Tsukiko pouted. "I guess we have to start fighting now, huh? Alright then..." Naruto narrowed his eyes as she began to transform- her limbs became longer, and she began growing fur on her fore-arms and lower legs. Her face structure altered so that it was the mouth and nose of an animal instead of a human's, with several whiskers sticking out of the sides. Her ears shifted to the top of her head and grew to great lengths, firmly setting her identity as some manner of rabbit. Lastly, her chest seemed to expand a little, making her look more like a woman than a girl. She smirked. "Here I come!" To the casual observer, she seemed to disappear, but Naruto could read her movements and blocked her punch with his sword.

As she bounced away, he seemed to have a grin on his face. "Fox versus rabbit, huh? Let's see where this goes."

Nagini slithered towards Kyuumaru slowly, and stopped a short distance from him. She began coiling up, still facing Kyuumaru the entire time. Kyuumaru yawned. "You going anywhere with this?"

He blinked, and in that instant she shot forward at high speeds. Kyuumaru yawned again as he sidestepped the thrust and kicked her in the stomach as she passed. "Please... is that all you can do?"

--

Jiraiya smirked as the Sound Five- or Four, seeing as how the girl was incapacitated due to Kyuumaru- surrounded him. "Hey there. Sorry, but I don't exactly have time to play games, so if you kids don't mind, I'll be making this quick."

Kidoumaru growled. "I don't think so, old man." He spat out what appeared to be a giant spider's web that flew towards Jiraiya. Jiraiya smirked before disappearing altogether, and the web hit the fat one and entangled him. Kidoumaru's eyes widened. "What the-" He didn't finish his sentence as he was knocked out from behind. As Kidoumaru slumped forward, Jiraiya cracked his knuckles. "Geez, two of you down already... let's see what we can do about the other two, shall we?"

Aoi clicked his tongue as he took out what looked like some kind of sword handle. "Didn't think I'd be needing this, but..." There was a sharp hiss, and what looked to be a small bolt of lightning extended from the hilt. After he sliced an Oto nin in half with it, Ibiki appeared next to him. "So, that's what happened to the _Raijin no Ken_. You have quite some nerve, bringing that with you to Konoha."

Aoi smirked as another man tried to cut him with a kunai, but he blocked it with the sword and electricity flowed into the other man's body, knocking him out. "Never go anywhere unprepared. This sword is extremely useful you know."

Ibiki sidestepped a man, grabbed his head, and twisted- hard. As the man fell to the ground, Ibiki snorted. "Seeing as you're not hostile to us here, I can't do anything to you... right now. But don't expect me to help you out if I see an attack heading your way."

Aoi's smirk widened. "With this sword, I'm invincible, so what does it matter?"

--

Hiruzen bit his thumb and placed his hand on the ground. "_Kuchiyose no jutsu!_" Smoke shot up from his hand, and when it cleared, a very large ape stood in front of Sarutobi, dressed in clothes similar to Hiruzen's as well as a tiger-skin jacket over that and a Konoha hitai-ate on his forehead. Orochimaru frowned. _Monkey King_ _Enma, huh?_

Enma looked back and forth between the two combatants. "Orochimaru, huh? So it's come to this then..." He turned to Hiruzen. "You're pathetic, you know that, Sarutobi? You should've killed him when you had the chance."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "What do you think I'm trying to do now?" Enma rolled his eyes. Sarutobi coughed to regain his attention. "Anyways, turn into the Kongounyoi!"

Enma nodded, in a moment he was covered in smoke. When the smoke cleared, instead of a monkey he was now a long black staff with two yellow tips. Hiruzen grabbed the staff and twirled it expertly, before settling on a stance and staring down Orochimaru. Orochimaru chuckled. "Ah... that looks interesting... I have my own weapon, you know." He tilted his head back, and a large snake appeared from his mouth. The snake then opened its own mouth, and a sword came out of that. Orochimaru grabbed the sword's hilt as it fell to the ground, and pointed it at his old sensei as the snake retracted back into his belly.

Enma growled despite having no visible mouth, or any other body parts for that matter. "The _Kusanagi no Tsurigi_, eh? I'm gonna be so sore when this is over with..."

Hiruzen pointed his staff at Orochimaru, and it extended rapidly. Orochimaru blocked the tip with the flat of his blade, but then Enma's head seemed to sprout from the side of the staff and reached out at Orochimaru in an attempt to bite him. Just as Enma was about to bite into him, though, Orochimaru seemed to greatly expand in size, and Enma got hit in the face by Orochimaru's expanding shoulder. Enma retracted back to Hiruzen's sides, and both he and Hiruzen stared at the monstrosity before them. Orochimaru had turned into a very large white snake with a human-ish face and black hair, with long arms at his sides. "Kukukuku.... here's the Zoan aspect of this fruit..." He pointed his arm at his sensei, and a swarm of snakes appeared from his sleeves and headed towards the old man. They seemed to leap into the air and practically blotted out the sun from Hiruzen's point of view. He lifted the staff and spun it into the swarm just as they reached him, and they seemed to be pushed back by some force. Orochimaru frowned as the snakes disappeared, no longer sustained by the power of his fruit. "What did you just do...?"

Hiruzen smirked. "You want to find out? Well, why don't I just show you, then!" He charged his old student, and began spinning his staff wildly as he tried to hit Orochimaru over and over, but each time the blow was parried by the Kusanagi. Soon, though, Hiruzen got a strike in past Orochimaru's defenses, and Orochimaru was shocked as he was pushed back from the force of the blow. "You...! You shouldn't be able to hit me with my Logia powers! How did you do that?!"

Hiruzen's smirk did not falter one inch. "Jiraiya has spent a long time traveling the world... and since he knew you would most likely go for a Logia fruit for yourself to use, he taught me a technique he picked up that makes Logia users think twice about their battle tactics."

Orochimaru seemed to sneer. "Is that so? Maybe I'll be able to figure out how you do it when I dissect you!"

--

Sasuke grunted as he flew around the tentacles of sand lashing out at him. _Great, he keeps the sand up at all times... and he always keeps enough close to himself to counter attack should I get a hit in. If this keeps up I might actually get hurt... I need a way to get past his defenses. Well, there's always __**that**__, but I don't feel like using up that much chakra. Though it looks like I won't have a choice soon enough..._

_--_

As Hinata stood trying to regain her balance, Dosu sneered and ran straight at her, his right arm raised for another attack. As he swung at her, though, she not only ducked under it but brought her hand across the golden Melody Arm. Dosu's eyes widened as the bottom half of the device slid right off of his arm, and the top half soon followed. "My... Melody Arm! What did you do to it?"

Hinata gave a small smile. "In my studies of water type chakra, I found out something- if you narrow it into a small, high pressure stream, it can cut through objects just as well as wind chakra can. I used that to cut your Melody Arm in half."

Dosu grit his teeth under his mask. "Why you...!" He took another punch at her, but this time his fist was stopped right before it hit her in the face. _What?!_

Hinata's smile widened a bit more. "_Kaiten!_" She started spinning rapidly, and a dome of chakra seemed to cover her. Dosu yelled in pain as the dome pushed against his whole body and sent him flying. Hinata struggled to regain her balance as the dome disappeared and she stopped spinning. "Another thing I found out about chakra is... that you can use it to deflect attacks. Like so." She noted that, in the stands, her father was looking at her, and was that... approval on his face?

--

Chouji grit his teeth. "_Bubun Baika no jutsu!_ Both arms!" His arms and hands grew to gigantic proportions, and then he swung them forward, apparently intent on crushing Kin between them.

Kin merely smirked. "Did you forget about my hair spikes?" All of a sudden, several spikes grew out from various places along her armor. Chouji clicked his tongue and brought his hands back, and they went back to normal. Kin's smirk grew. "Face it, fatty. There's no way you're going to be able to get to me without piercing yourself on my spikes. This armor makes me invincible! I'm going to squash you like the fat little bug you are!"

Chouji growled loudly enough for her to hear even in the middle of the chaos. "Why you-!" He froze. "Wait... that's it!" He stringed together several handsigns. "_Chou baika no jutsu!"_ Kin could only gape as Chouji suddenly became gigantic in proportions. His voice boomed over the stadium, and almost everyone stopped to watch what was going on. "I'm going to squash you like a bug!" Kin's reaction was to make as many spikes as possible. Chouji smirked. "What do you think shoes are for?" Kin could only scream as he brought his foot up, and then brought it down on her- hard.

--

When Chouji had become a giant, Aoi was distracted by it. Unfortunately for him, the said could not be said for a nearby Oto nin.

Ibiki saw the man take out a kunai with an explosive tag on it. He said nothing. He saw the man throw it at Aoi. He said nothing. He saw it embed itself in Aoi's back. He said nothing. He saw the tag ignite. He said nothing. He watched the tag burn down quickly. He said nothing. He watched Aoi explode into pieces. He smirked, and said, "Boom."

--

Zaku panted- this guy was impossible to hit. He had used up nearly all of his ammo- bullets and his flamethrower- trying to hurt the guy, but he was faster than he looked. He grit his teeth. "Time to pull out the big guns." He took off his right hand, and aimed the hole in his arm right at Shino. "Say goodbye, bug-boy!" However, just as he was about to fire, Aoi's sword came out of nowhere and sliced clean through his shoulder, and his arm fell to the ground, useless. "AAAAAH! MY ARM! I'M GONNA KILL THE GUY WHO DID THIS!!!" He was about to pick up the sword, which had landed hilt-up in the ground, when Sasuke came out of nowhere.

"I'll be taking this!"

Zaku stared in disbelief as the tengu flew off, sword in hand, leaving Zaku standing bewildered. He heard a loud buzzing noise, and saw a swarm of insects coming from his right. He looked down at the hole in his side. "....Crud."

--

Sasuke smirked- the sword had sliced right through the boy's metal skin. It shouldn't have much trouble slicing through Gaara's sand, as well. He blinked as the blade seemed to disappear. He had noted that chakra had been running through it, but... he charged it with his own electrical chakra, and he smirked as a now white-blue blade appeared where the yellow one had been. "Ah, that's better. Now then... time to win."

--

Naruto tried to slice Tsukiko in half over and over again, but each and every time she would dodge it. This time she jumped backwards as Naruto lodged the sword into the rooftiles. He jumped over the blade while keeping a grip on it, did a flip in mid-air, and then brought the sword from behind him into another chop, leaving a large cut in the roof. Unfortunately, she dodged it again. Naruto grunted as he hefted the giant sword over his shoulders. "It would seem that I'm at a huge disadvantage here... I'm still not good enough with the sword to land any hits on an opponent who can see it coming."

Tsukiko closed her eyes as she giggled. "Well of course, silly! I'm a rabbit, I'm supposed to be hard to catch for a fox!"

Naruto took advantage of the opening and tried slicing her vertically, but she jumped backwards. As they resumed their fighting stances, Tsukiko blinked when her top split open, revealing her fur covered chest. Her eyes darkened. "You... you... PERVERT!"

Naruto put up a hand in front of him, covering her chest from vision even though there was nothing to see in her hybrid form. "Ah, wait, it was an accident! I was trying to slice you in half! Wait, that came out wrong..."

Tsukiko growled. "No more nice little girl act. I'm going to use my full-on-animal form for this battle. Let's see you compete with _that_."

Naruto blinked as she began growing larger and larger, fur covering everything now that she was more a mass of muscle than anything else. Her eyes were well shadowed, and claws sprouted from the ends of her paws, both hands and feet. Naruto gulped- she was taller than him by a few feet now. Tsukiko snarled, revealing many, many pointed teeth. "Let's see how _you_ like being hunted, fox!"

**Kasek: **Over 4,000 words, so I think this is a good place to stop.

Maybe I'll come back and spice up the Naruto VS Tsukiko pre-animal reveal fight with Kage Bunshin or something. I'm definitely going to try to make the next part interesting.

If Zaku survives this, I think getting his arm taken off will become a running gag.

I'm sure One Piece fans will recognize what breed of rabbit Tsukiko is ;p

Darn it, I left way too much of the Shino/Zaku fight to the imagination. Sorry about that guys.

EDIT: ARGH ArmorOfGeddon pointed out that I TOTALLY MISSED an opportunity to pay homage to the Luffy/Krieg fight. Maybe I'll take the opportunity at a later date.

Any questions or comments, leave them in a review or a PM (not necessarily respectively, mind, I'd rather prefer comments for reviews and questions for both). Also, if you spot errors let me know... I looked over it and don't think there are any left, but you never know.

Vocabulary:

Hito Hito no Mi: Human Human Fruit, a zoan fruit for human forms. Chopper from One Piece has the original fruit, but Orochimaru has found away to manufacture it.

Hebi Hebi no Mi: Model Orochi: Snake Snake Fruit, Model Great Snake: A dual-type fruit that Orochimaru created using his own soul, it displays Zoan and Logia properties. Great Snake indeed.

Baika no jutsu: Expansion technique.  
Kami no yoroi: Armor of hair. Pun on "Kami no yoroi (armor of God)", showing Kin's arrogance.  
Raijin no Ken: Sword of the Thunder God. From the same filler arc Aoi is from, a lightsaber-ish sword used by Senju Tobirama.  
Kuchiyose no jutsu: Summoning technique. Used to summon animals, objects, and even people.  
Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Sword of Grasscutter or Grasscutter Sword, a legendary sword.  
Kaiten: Heavenly Spin  
Bubun Baika no jutsu: Partial Expansion technique.  
Chou Baika no jutsu: Super Expansion technique.


End file.
